n I followed several; of these I selected
three; one was an optician and electrician, an old-established firm,
doing a large business. Another was an East India importing house. The
third was Green & Son, tailors.

The next day I went to the optician and purchased an expensive opera
glass, and had him engrave on it "To Lady Mary, from Her Friend," and
paid him for it with a L100 note; then I went to the East India firm and
bought a costly white silk shawl and a lap robe fit for a prince, and
looked at a camel's hair shawl at one hundred guineas.

I had brought from America with me a Western hat, and as I had resolved
to play the Silver King, I wore it when going around among the
tradesmen. The English had, and still have, absurd ideas concerning that
desirable article, "The American Silver King." The stage article they
take for the genuine, and devoutly believe that the pavements are thick
with them in America, all marching around with rolls of thousand-dollar
bills in their pockets, which they throw out to bootblacks and
bartenders.

Therefore, I resolved to play this role. After my purchase of the shawl
and robe, I drove in my brougham up to Green & Son, and entered, smoking
a cigar, and with my big hat pulled well down over my eyes. Soon as I
saw the elder Green I felt I had my man. Certainly I had hit well, for
the firm (fathers and sons) had been depositors in the Bank of England
for near a century, and had considerable wealth; but, English fashion,
stuck steadily to business. This is a firm of ultra-fashionable tailors,
that, like the historic Poole next door, charge for their reputation
more than for the fit of their garments.

One of the firm and an attendant flew to wait upon me, but, paying no
attention to them, I started on a slow march around the establishment,
examining the array of cloths, they following at my heels. I went down
one side and returned on the other to the door. Arriving there I halted
and, pointing first at one roll of cloth and then another, said: "One
suit from this, three suits from that, two from that, a topcoat from
that, another from that, another suit from that, one from that. Now,
show me some dressing gowns." The first shown was twenty guineas. I
instantly said that would do. One may be certain the tailor and his
assistant flew around, one to measure and the other to write the
measurements of this American sheep that Providence had led astray into
their shop. When asked my name