He took her first of all through the Furniture, and showed her his sub-department for the sale of desks and all other office requisites similar to those which he had purchased for his own use. This was what he called agency work.
"No risk, don't you see, old girl! Doing the trick with other people's capital." And he explained how the German firm that supplied England with these American goods had given him most advantageous terms. "A splendid agreement for us! If the things don't go off quick, we just shovel the lot back at them—and try something else. That's trade. Keep a move on—don't go to sleep."
Then presently he took her upstairs, to what he called his Japan Exhibition.
The Cretonne Department had been compressed and curtailed to make room for this new feature, and she passed through the archway of an ornate partition in order to admire and wonder at the Oriental novelties.
"Now, Jane, this is what I'm really proud of."
There was plenty to see and to think about—Marsden made her handle carved and tinted ivory warriors with glittering swords and tiny burnished helmets, dragons with jewelled eyes and enamelled jaws, exquisite little cloisonne boxes; made her stoop to look at the malachite plinths of huge squat vases; and made her stretch her neck to look at gold-embossed friezes of great tall screens.
All these goods were very expensive; and she asked if any of them had been introduced, like the Yankee furniture, on sale or return.
"No, these are our own racket—and tip-top stuff, the best of its kind, never brought to Europe till last summer.... The stock stands us in close on four thousand pounds. You wouldn't think it, would you? But it's art. It's an education to possess such things."
She hazarded another question. Did he think Mallingbridge would consent to pay for such high-class education?