"Which do you prefer, Mademoiselle? The multi-coloured cockades or the bows of ribbon in one shade? We have both in satin of the best quality."
Wilhelmine de Naarboveck hesitated. The representative from "The Ladies' Paradise" continued:
"The cockades of various colours do very well: they are gay, look bright; but the bows of ribbon also produce an excellent effect—so distinguished! Both articles are in great demand."
Wilhelmine answered at random:
"Oh, put in half of each!"
"And what quantity, Mademoiselle?"
"Oh, three hundred will be sufficient, I should think."
The shopwoman displayed her assortment of cotillion objects. She did her part ably. But Wilhelmine de Naarboveck gave but a perfunctory attention to this choosing of cotillion accessories.
The saleswoman was more and more astonished. She considered that were her customer's orders executed to the letter she would have the oddest assortment of cotillion accessories that could be imagined. She adroitly called Wilhelmine's attention to this.
Realising that she had been giving orders at random, the absent-minded girl came to a decision.