safely "in."

The shop door was open, and Eloquent looked in. Dada, himself, was
serving a customer; moreover, he was looking particularly brisk and
pleased.

Eloquent crept into the shop cautiously. None noticed him. The four
shopmen were serving other customers, and they all happened to be at
the counter on the right-hand side.

It was a long shop with two counters that stretched its entire length,
and was rather dark and close as a rule, but to-day there was bright
sunshine outside. It shone through the big plate-glass windows, the
glass door stood open, and somehow the shop looked gay. Dada had the
left-hand counter all to himself.

Eloquent had never before seen anyone in the least like this customer,
who, with slender hands, sat turning over little ready-made suits,
boy's suits, and feeling the stuff to see if it were strong; she had
taken off one of her long white gloves, and it lay beside the suits.

Eloquent gazed and gazed, and edged up the side of the counter towards
her. Had he possessed eyes for anybody else he would have observed
that the four assistants were staring also, and that his father, even,
seemed very much absorbed by this particular purchaser.

And, after all, why?

She was just a tall, quite young woman, very simply dressed in white.

But she was beautiful.

Not pretty; beautiful in a large, luminous, quite intelligible way.

It was all there, the gracious sovereignty of feature, colouring, above
all, expression--that governs men.

Little Eloquent knew it and came edging up the shop, drawn irresistibly
as by some powerful magnetic force.

The young shopmen knew it, and neglected their patrons as much as they
dared to stare at her.

Mr Gallup knew it, and stood rubbing his hands and thoroughly enjoying
the good moment.

Those other customers knew it, and although the inattention of the
young shopmen annoyed them, they sat well sideways in their chairs that
they, too, might take a peep at the lady without rudely turning round.

The only person in the shop who appeared to know nothing about it was
the lady herself. She bent her lovely head over the little suits and
pondered, murmuring:

"I do wish I knew which they'd like best, a Norfolk jacket, or a jacket
and waistcoat. Can you remember which you liked best?" she asked,
suddenly lifting large, earnest eyes to Mr Gallup's flushed and
cheerful countenance.

"Really, madam," said Mr Gallup, rather taken aback at the v