“That is very clever,” I said, “but how about the statistics of real egret plumes imported into this country?”
He answered like a flash: “Oh, those, of course, are only brought here to be exported again at once to countries where they do not mind confessing to cruelty; yes, all exported, except—well, those that aren’t!”
“Oh!” I said: “I see! You have been speaking ironically all this time.”
“Have you grasped that?” he answered. “Capital!”
After that we walked in silence.
“The fact is,” I said, presently, “ordinary people, shopmen and customers alike, never bother their heads about such things at all.”
“Yes,” he replied sadly, “they take the line of least resistance. It is just that which gives Fashion its chance to make such fools of them.”
“You have yet to prove that it does make fools of them.”
“I thought I had; but no matter. Take horses’ tails—what’s left of them—do you defend that fashion?”
“Well,” I said, “I——”