to-morrow,’ he answered, and walked away.  That same evening, as we were shutting up shop, I was sent for to the principal’s room.  The moment I entered, he said, ’You won’t suit us, young man, I find.  You had better pack up your box to-night, and be off to-morrow.  There’s your quarter’s salary.’  ‘What have I done?’ I asked in astonishment, and yet with a vague suspicion of the matter.  ’It’s not what you’ve done, but what you don’t do,’ he answered.  ’Do you think we can afford to keep you here and pay you wages to send people away from the shop without buying?  If you do, you’re mistaken, that’s all.  You may go.’  ‘But what could I do?’ I said.  ’I suppose that spy, B—–­,’—­I believe I said so, sir.  ’Now, now, young man, none of your sauce!’ said Mr—–.  ’Honest people don’t think about spies.’  ’I thought it was for honesty you were getting rid of me,’ I said.  Mr—–­rose to his feet, his lips white, and pointed to the door.  ’Take your money and be off.  And mind you don’t refer to me for a character.  After such impudence I couldn’t in conscience give you one.’  Then, calming down a little when he saw I turned to go, ’You had better take to your hands again, for your head will never keep you.  There, be off!’ he said, pushing the money towards me, and turning his back to me.  I could not touch it.  ’Keep the money, Mr—–­,’ I said.  ‘It’ll make up for what you’ve lost by me.’  And I left the room at once without waiting for an answer.

“While I was packing my box, one of my chums came in, and I told him all about it.  He is rather a good fellow that, sir; but he laughed, and said, ’What a fool you are, Weir!  YOU’ll never make your daily bread, and you needn’t think it.  If you knew what I know, you’d have known better.  And it’s very odd it was about shawls, too.  I’ll tell you.  As you’re going away, you won’t let it out.  Mr—–­’ (that was the same who had just turned me away) ’was serving some ladies himself, for he wasn’t above being in the shop, like his partner.  They wanted the best Indian shawl they could get.  None of those he showed them were good enough, for the ladies really didn’t know one from another.  They always go by the price you ask, and Mr—–­knew that well enough.  He had sent me up-stairs for the shawls, and as I brought them he said, “These are the best imported, madam.”  There were three ladies; and one shook her head, and another shook her head, and they all shook their heads.  And then Mr—–­was sorry, I believe you, that he had said they were the best.  But you won’t catch him in a trap!  He’s too old a fox for that.’  I’m telling you, sir, what Johnson told me.  ’He looked close down at the shawls, as if he were short-sighted, though he could see as far as any man.  “I beg your pardon, ladies,” said he, “you’re right.  I am quite wrong.  What a stupid blunder to make!  And yet they did deceive me.  Here, Johnson, take these shawls away.  How could you be so stupid?  I will fetch the thing you want myself, ladies.”  So I went with him.