g with emeralds fresh from the ocean.

CHAPTER X.

SHOWING HOW THE FIRM INVENTED A NEW SHIRT.

It has already been said that those four men in armour, on the
production of whom Robinson had especially prided himself, were
dispensed with after the first fortnight. This, no doubt, was brought
about through the parsimony of Mr. Brown, but in doing so he was
aided by a fortuitous circumstance. One of the horses trampled on a
child near the Bank, and then the police and press interfered. At
first the partners were very unhappy about the child, for it was
reported to them that the poor little fellow would die. Mr. Brown
went to see it, and ascertained that the mother knew how to make the
most of the occurrence;--and so, after a day or two, did the firm.
The Jupiter daily newspaper took the matter up, and lashed out
vigorously at what it was pleased to call the wickedness as well as
absurdity of such a system of advertising; but as the little boy
was not killed, nor indeed seriously hurt, the firm was able to
make capital out of the Jupiter, by sending a daily bulletin from
Magenta House as to the state of the child's health. For a week the
newspapers inserted these, and allowed the firm to explain that they
supplied nourishing food, and paid the doctor's bill; but at the end
of the week the editor declined any further correspondence. Mr. Brown
then discontinued his visits; but the child's fortune had been made
by gifts from a generous public, and the whole thing had acted as an
excellent unpaid advertisement. Now, it is well understood by all
trades that any unpaid advertisement is worth twenty that have cost
money.

In this way the men in armour were put down, but they will be long
remembered by the world of Bishopsgate Street. That they cost money
is certain. "Whatever we do," said Mr. Brown, "don't let's have any
more horses. You see, George, they're always a-eating!" He could not
understand that it was nothing, though the horses had eaten gilded
oats, so long as there were golden returns.

The men in armour, however, were put down, as also was the car of
Fame. One horse only was left in the service of the firm, and this
was an ancient creature that had for many years belonged to the
butter establishment in Smithfield. By this animal a light but large
wooden frame was dragged about, painted Magenta on its four sides,
and bearing on its various fronts different notices as to the
business of the house. A boy s