Page 834 - of-human-bondage-

CIII

rs. Athelny lent Philip money to pay his landlady
Menough of her bill to let him take his things away. For
five shillings and the pawn-ticket on a suit he was able to get
from a pawnbroker a frock coat which fitted him fairly well.
He redeemed the rest of his clothes. He sent his box to Har-
rington Street by Carter Patterson and on Monday morning
went with Athelny to the shop. Athelny introduced him to
the buyer of the costumes and left him. The buyer was a
pleasant, fussy little man of thirty, named Sampson; he
shook hands with Philip, and, in order to show his own ac-
complishment of which he was very proud, asked him if he
spoke French. He was surprised when Philip told him he
did.
‘Any other language?’
‘I speak German.’
‘Oh! I go over to Paris myself occasionally. Parlez-vous
francais? Ever been to Maxim’s?’
Philip was stationed at the top of the stairs in the ‘cos-
tumes.’ His work consisted in directing people to the
various departments. There seemed a great many of them
as Mr. Sampson tripped them off his tongue. Suddenly he
noticed that Philip limped.
‘What’s the matter with your leg?’ he asked.
‘I’ve got a club-foot,’ said Philip. ‘But it doesn’t prevent