A Little Shopping As He spoke, we came suddenly out of the woodland into a short street of handsomely built houses, which my companion named to me at once as Piccadilly: the lower part of these houses I should have called shopos, if it had not been that, as far as I could see, the people were ignorant of the arts of buying and selling. Wares were displayed in their finely designed fronts, as if to tempt people in, and people stood and looked at them, or went in and came out with parcels under their arms, just like the real thing. On each side of the street ran an elegant arcade to protect foot-passengers, as in some of the old Italian cities. About half-way ddown, a huge building of the kind Iwas now prepared to expect told me that this was a center of some kind, and had its special public buildings.
Said Dick: "Here, you see, is another market on a different plan from most others: the upper stories of these houses are used for guest-houses; for people from all over the country are apt to drift up hither from time to time, as folks are very thick upon the ground, which you will see evidence of presently, and there are people who are fond of crowds, though I can't say that I am. "I couldn't help smiling to see how long a tradition sould last. Here was the ghost of London still asserting itself as a centre,--an intellectual centre, for aught I knew. However, I said nothing, except that I asked him to drive very slowly as the things in the booth looked exceedingly pretty.
"Yes," said he, "this is a very good market for pretty things, and is mostly kept for the handsomer goods, as the Houses-of Parliament market, where they set out cabbages and turnips and such like things, along with beer and the rougher kind of wine, is so near."Then he looked at me curiously, and said,"Perhaps you would like to do a little shopping, as 'tis called."I looked at what I could see of my rough blue duds, which I had plenty of opportunity of contrasting with the gay attire of the citizens we had come across; and I thought that if, as seemed likely, I should presently be shown about as a curiosity for the amusement of this most unbusinesslike people, I should like to look a little less like a discharged ship's purser. But in spite of all that had happened, my hnd went down to my pocket again where to my dismay it met nothing metallic except two rusty old keys, and I remembered that amidst our talk in the guest-hall at Hammersmith I had taken the cash out of my pocket to show to the pretty Annie, and had left it lying there. My face fell fifty per cent., and Dick, beholding me, said rather sharply:
"Hillo, Guest! what's the matter now? is it a wasp?""No," said I, "but I've left it behind.""Well," said he,"whatever you have left behind, you can get into this market again, so don't trouble yourself about it."I had come to my senses by this time, and remembering the astounding customs of this country, had no mind for another lecture on social economy and the Edwardian coinage; so I said only:
"My clothes-- Couldn't I? You see--What do you think could be done about them?"He didn't seem in the least inclined to laugh, but said quite gravely:
"O don't get new clothes yet. You see my great-grandfather is an antiquarian, and he will want to see you just as you are. And, you know, I mustn't preach to you but surely it wouldn't be right for you to take away people's pleasure of studying your attire, by just going and making yourself like everybody else. "You feel that, don't you?"said he, earnestly.
I did _not_ feel it my duty to set myself up for a scarecrow amidst this beauty-loving people but I saw I had got across some ineradicable prejudice, and that it wouldn't do to quarrel with my new friend. So Imerely said "O certainly, certainly.""Well," said he, pleasantly, "you may as well see what the inside of these booths is like: think of something you want."Said I: "Could I get some tobacco and a pipe?""Of course," said he; "what was I thinking of, not asking you before?
Well, Bob is always telling me that we non-smokers are a selfish lot, and I'm afraid he is right. But come along; here is a place just handy."Therewith he drew rein and jumped down, and I followed. A very handsome woman, splendidly clad in figured silk, was slowly passing by, looking into the windows as she went. To her quoth Dick: "Maiden, would you kindly hold our horse while we go in for a little while?"She nodded to us with a kind smile, and fell to patting the horse with her pretty hand.
"What a beautiful creature!" said I to Dick as we entered.
"What, old Greylocks?" said he, with a sly grin.
"No, no," said I; "Goldylocks,--the lady.""Well, so she is," said he. "Tis a good job there are so many of them that every Jack may have his Jill; else I fear that we should get fighting for them. Indeed," sid he, becoming very grave, "I don't say that it does not happen even now, sometimes. For you know love is not a very reasonable thing, and perversity and self-will are commoner than some of our moralists think." He added, in a still more sombre tone: "Yes, only a month ago there was a mishap down by us, that in the end cost the lives of two men and a woman, and, as it were, put out the sunlight for us for a while. Don't ask me about it just now; Imay tell you about it later on."By this time we were within the shop or booth, which had a counter, and shelves on the walls, all very neat, though without any pretence of showiness, but otherwise not very different to what I had been used to. Within were a couple of children--a brown-skinned boy of about twelve, who sat reading a book, and a pretty little girl of about a year older, who was sitting also reading behind the counter; they were obviously brother and sister.
"Good morning, little neighbours," said Dick. "My friend here wants tobacco and a pipe; can you help him?-""O yes, certainly," said the girl with a sort of demure alertness which was somewhat amusing. The boy looked up, and fell to staring at my outlandish attire, but presently reddened and turned his head, as if he knew that he was not behaving prettily.