“Give me the half-sovereign. I’ll soon make that right.”
Her husband interposed, or tried to:
“My dear, I must ask you not to intrude between this young lady and myself.”
She cut him relentlessly short.
“Here is your change, Miss O’Brady; and here are the fringe-nets.”
“Thank you. Good-afternoon.”
He tried again.
“My dear, I am master in my own shop, and you must permit me to state——”
I did not wait to hear what it was that he wished to state. I had heard more than enough of his statements already. Insincere, smooth-tongued, artificial creature! I had had no idea that he was so horrid, though I had known that he was horrid enough. I left the shop with the fringe-nets in one hand and the change in the other; and I make no doubt that directly my back was turned an animated discussion commenced as to who was and who was not master there, and how far that mastery went. Had I been Mrs Morrel I would have made it clear to her objectionable husband, when it came to presenting the stock to casual female customers, that his mastery ceased before it reached that point.