Just then a customer came in, and Mr. Nichols was drawn away from his dissertation on dress.
"Just notice how I manage," he said in a low voice.
Accordingly Walter stood by and listened.
"Have you any calicoes that you can recommend?" asked the woman, who appeared to be poor.
"Yes, ma'am, we've got some of the best in the market,—some that will be sure to suit you."
He took from the shelves and displayed a very ugly pattern.
"I don't think I like that," she said. "Haven't you got some with a smaller figure?"
"The large figures are all the rage just now, ma'am. Everybody wears them."
"Is that so?" asked the woman, irresolutely.
"Fact, I assure you."