"If it does, you'll be gone, so it won't trouble you."
"With ordinary care it will hold long enough."
"Oh, yes, of course you'd say so. I expected it. How much do you charge for the book?"
"Three dollars and a half."
"Three dollars and a half!" repeated the woman. "You seem to think people are made of money."
"I don't fix the price, madam," said Walter, rather provoked. "The publishers do that."
"I warrant they make two-thirds profit. Don't they now?"
"I don't know," said Walter. "I don't know anything about the cost of publishing books; but this is a large one, and there are a great many pictures in it. They must have cost considerable."
"Seems to me it's ridiculous to ask such a price for a book. Why, it's enough to buy a nice dress pattern!"