Page 163 - 401_

162

"My friend, you shouldn't judge a stranger always by the
clothes he wears. I am quite able to pay for this suit. I simply didn't
want to put you to the trouble of changing a large note".
“But why do you think we cannot change any note you may
carry around? On the contrary, we can.”
I handed the note to him, and said:
"Oh, very well; I apologize".
He received it with a large smile, and then taking a glimpse at
the bill this smile froze. The man stood there holding the bill, and the
proprietor hurried up to see what was the matter, and said quickly:
"Well, what's up? What's the trouble? What's a wrong?"
I said: "There isn't any troble. I'm waiting for my change".
"Get him the change, Ted!"
The fellow answered back: "Get him his change! Its easy to
say, sir; but look at the bill yourself".
The proprietor took a look, gave a low, expressive whistle, then
made a dive for the pile of rejected clothing, and began to snatch it
this way and that, talking all the time excitedly, and as if to himself:
"To sell an eccentric millionaire such an unspeakable suit as
that! Ted's fool — a born fool. Always doing something like this.
Drives every millionaire away from this place, because he can't tell a
millionaire from a beggar, and never could. Ah, here's the thing I'm
looking for! Please get those things off, sir, and throw them in the
fire. Do me the favour to put on this shirt and this suit; it's just the
thing, the very thing — plain, rich, modest, and elegant; made to
order for a foreign prince. He had to leave it with us and take a black
suit because his mother was going to die — which she didn't.
Trousers all right, they fit your perfectly, sir; now the waistcoat: aha,
right again! Now the coat! Look at that, now! Perfect, the whole
thing! I never saw such a triumph in all my experience".
I expressed my satisfaction.
"Quite right, sir, quite right; it'll do for a makeshift, I must say.
But wait till you see what we'll make for you to your own measure.
Come, Ted, book and pen, go ahead. Length of leg, 32 inches" — and
so on. Before I could say a word he had measured me, and was giving
orders for dress suits, morning suits, shirts and all sorts of things.
When I got a chance I said:
"But, my dear sir, I can't give these orders, unless you can wait
indefinitely, or change the bill".