"But just come and let me show you some things," begged Mr. Perkins, in a frenzy.
"Oh, go along, Ben," said Madam Van Ruypen; "you might as well, for I must wait here until the other man brings down those extra suits."
So Ben had nothing to do but to move off with Mr. Perkins. When they had turned into a convenient corner, "See here," said the salesman, and his face paled, "you won't tell on me, will you?" His mouth twitched, and anxious wrinkles seemed to run all over his face, making him suddenly quite old and worn.
"What do you think?" said Ben, indignantly, and he turned on his heel in contempt.
"You see," Mr. Perkins hurried after him, and spoke as if his throat were parched, the words came out so jerkily, "I couldn't stay here a minute, you know, if the old man knew I'd treated any one belonging to her badly."
"I don't belong to her," said Ben.
"Well, you came with her," said Mr. Perkins, quite willing now to believe Ben much higher up yet, if that were possible, in the social scale. "And I've got a mother," he swallowed hard with a kind of choke, "and three sisters, and—"
"You needn't be afraid," Ben stopped the rest; "I give you my word I'll not speak of it."
"Honest Injun, now?" said Mr. Perkins, anxiously.
"I've given you my word," said Ben; "that's all I'll say," looking at him squarely.