r he chooses. We advertise to attract
notice, not to state facts. But it's a mean thing to pass off a false
article over the counter. If you will ticket your goods, you should
sell them according to the ticket."

At first, the other partners had not objected to this ticketing, as
the practice is now common, and there is at first sight an apparent
honesty about it which has its seduction. A lady seeing 21_s._ 7_d._
marked on a mantle in the window, is able to contemplate the desired
piece of goods and to compare it, in silent leisure, with her
finances. She can use all her power of eye, but, as a compensation to
the shopkeeper, is debarred from the power of touch; and then, having
satisfied herself as to the value of the thing inspected, she can go
in and buy without delay or trouble to the vendor. But it has been
found by practice that so true are the eyes of ladies that it is
useless to expose in shop-windows articles which are not good of
their kind, and cheap at the price named. To attract customers in
this way, real bargains must be exhibited; and when this is done,
ladies take advantage of the unwary tradesman, and unintended
sacrifices are made. George Robinson soon perceived this, and
suggested that the ticketing should be abandoned. Jones, however,
persevered, observing that he knew how to remedy the evil inherent
in the system. Hence difficulties arose, and, ultimately, disgrace,
which was very injurious to the Firm, and went near to break the
heart of Mr. Brown.

According to Jones's plan, the articles ticketed in the window were
not, under any circumstances, to be sold. The shopmen, indeed, were
forbidden to remove them from their positions under any entreaties or
threats from the customers. The customer was to be at first informed,
with all the blandishment at the shopman's command, that the goods
furnished within the shop were exact counterparts of those exposed.
Then the shopman was to argue that the arrangements of the window
could not be disturbed. And should a persistent purchaser after that
insist on a supposed legal right, to buy the very thing ticketed,
Mr. Jones was to be called; in which case Mr. Jones would inform the
persistent purchaser that she was regarded as unreasonable, violent,
and disagreeable; and that, under such circumstances, her custom
was not wanted by Brown, Jones, and Robinson. The disappointed
female would generally leave the shop with some loud remarks as to
swindling, dishon