"Well," muttered the young man, "I will not tell anybody that
Mr. Jinks sews, if he don't want it to be known—especially Miss
Sallianna. I reckon he is right—women don't like to see men do
anything better than them, as Mr. Jinks says."
And Verty began to admire a plum-colored coat which was lying on the counter.
"I like this," he said.
O'Brallaghan grew eloquent on the plum-colored coat—asserting that it was a portion of a suit made for one of his most elegant customers, but not sent for. He could, however, dispose of it to Mr. Verty, if he wished to have it—there was time to make another for the aforesaid elegant customer.
Verty tried the coat on, and O'Brallaghan declared, enthusiastically, that it fitted him "bewchously."
Mr. Roundjacket informed Verty that it would be better to get the suit, if it fitted, inasmuch as O'Brallaghan would probably take double the time he promised to make his proper suit in—an observation which O'Brallaghan repelled with indignation; and so the consequence was, that a quarter of an hour afterwards Roundjacket and Verty issued forth—the appearance of the latter having undergone a remarkable change.
Certainly no one would have recognized Verty at the first glance. He was clad in a complete cavalier's suit—embroidered coat-ruffles and long flapped waistcoat—with knee-breeches, stockings of the same material, and glossy shoes with high red heels, and fluttering rosettes; a cocked hat surmounted his curling hair, and altogether Verty resembled a courtier, and walked like a boy on stilts.
Roundjacket laughed in his sleeve at his companion's contortions, and on their way back stopped at the barber and surgeon's. This professional gentleman clipped Verty's profuse curls, gathered them together carefully behind, and tied them with a handsome bow of scarlet ribbon. Then he powdered the boy's fine glossy hair, and held a mirror before him.
"Oh! I'm a great deal better looking now," said Verty; "the fact is,
Mr. Roundjacket, my hair was too long."
To this Mr. Roundjacket assented, and they returned, laughing, to the office.