ase they had better be five and
three-quarter.'

"'Oh, and the stitching on the cream is to be black,' I added. That was
another thing I had forgotten.

"'Thank you very much,' said Mr. Jansen; 'is there anything else that
you require this morning?'

"'No, thank you,' I replied, 'not this morning.' I was beginning to like
the man.

"He took me for quite a walk, and wherever we went everybody left off
what they were doing to stare at me. I was getting tired when we reached
the glove department. He marched me up to a young man who was sticking
pins into himself. He said 'Gloves,' and disappeared through a curtain.
The young man left off sticking pins into himself, and leant across the
counter.

"'Ladies' gloves or gentlemen's gloves?' he said.

"Well, I was pretty mad by this time, as you can guess. It is funny
when you come to think of it afterwards, but the wonder then was that I
didn't punch his head.

"I said, 'Are you ever busy in this shop? Does there ever come a time
when you feel you would like to get your work done, instead of lingering
over it and spinning it out for pure love of the thing?'

"He did not appear to understand me. I said, 'I met a man at your door
a quarter of an hour ago, and we talked about these gloves that I want,
and I told him all my ideas on the subject. He took me to your Mr.
Jansen, and Mr. Jansen and I went over the whole business again. Now
Mr. Jansen leaves it with you--you who do not even know whether I want
ladies' or gentlemen's gloves. Before I go over this story for the third
time, I want to know whether you are the man who is going to serve me,
or whether you are merely a listener, because personally I am tired of
the subject?'

"Well, this was the right man at last, and I got my gloves from him. But
what is the explanation--what is the idea? I was in that shop from first
to last five-and-thirty minutes. And then a fool took me out the wrong
way to show me a special line in sleeping-socks. I told him I was not
requiring any. He said he didn't want me to buy, he only wanted me
to see them. No wonder the drapers have had to start luncheon and
tea-rooms. They'll fix up small furnished flats soon, where a woman can
live for a week."

I said it was very trying, shopping. I also said, as he invited me,
and as he appeared determined to go on talking, that I would have a
brandy-and-soda. We were in the smoke-room by this time.

"There ought to be an association," he contin