three representing, I fancy, the
whole force of the shop. She was a bright-eyed, saucy-looking little
wench, this last one. On any other occasion I might have been pleased to
see her; now, her coming only irritated me. I didn't see the need of
three girls for this business.

"The first two girls started explaining the thing to the third girl, and
before they were half-way through the third girl began to giggle--she was
the sort of girl who would giggle at anything. That done, they fell to
chattering like Jenny Wrens, all three together; and between every half-
dozen words they looked across at me; and the more they looked at me the
more the third girl giggled; and before they had finished they were all
three giggling, the little idiots; you might have thought I was a clown,
giving a private performance.

"When she was steady enough to move, the third girl came up to me; she
was still giggling. She said:

"'If you get it, will you go?'

"I did not quite understand her at first, and she repeated it.

"'This cushion. When you've got it, will you go--away--at once?'

"I was only too anxious to go. I told her so. But, I added I was not
going without it. I had made up my mind to have that cushion now if I
stopped in the shop all night for it.

"She rejoined the other two girls. I thought they were going to get me
the cushion and have done with the business. Instead of that, the
strangest thing possible happened. The two other girls got behind the
first girl, all three still giggling, Heaven knows what about, and pushed
her towards me. They pushed her close up to me, and then, before I knew
what was happening, she put her hands on my shoulders, stood up on
tiptoe, and kissed me. After which, burying her face in her apron, she
ran off, followed by the second girl. The third girl opened the door for
me, and so evidently expected me to go, that in my confusion I went,
leaving my twenty marks behind me. I don't say I minded the kiss, though
I did not particularly want it, while I did want the cushion. I don't
like to go back to the shop. I cannot understand the thing at all."

I said: "What did you ask for?"

He said: "A cushion"

I said: "That is what you wanted, I know. What I mean is, what was the
actual German word you said."

He replied: "A kuss."

I said: "You have nothing to complain of. It is somewhat confusing. A
'kuss' sounds as if it ought to be a cushion, but it is not; it is a
kiss,