"Not a bit of it. She was rolling in money; all she needed was a directing mind, such as I am sure yours is. What she wanted was to get through the day, and you would have helped her, and business would result. As a matter of fact, she did buy something; she bought 'Tom Brown's School Days,' for the curious reason, into which I was far too wily to enquire further, that her dear father was at Winchester."
"One little point, Miss Staveley," said Mr. Harford. "You are setting up an advice bureau. Won't you give us your opinion on our signboard: do you think it reads all right?"
"It seems to me most alluring," said Ben; "unless possibly the word 'Rest' might lead people to stay too long."
"Well," said Mr. St. Quentin, "as a matter of fact we had a tussle over that and Jack won. I was for just 'Bookbuyers' Corner.'"
"Very pretty," said Ben.
"Yes," said Mr. Harford, "but as I very properly and acutely pointed out, this isn't a corner."
"Still—" Ben began.
"No," said Jack, "a corner's a corner."
"Very well," said his partner, "I give in; but what do you think he wanted on the sign as we now more or less have it? You won't credit it, Miss Staveley. Catch hold of something while I tell you."
"Ah, shut up," said Jack.