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CVII

r. Sampson, the buyer, took a fancy to Philip. Mr.
MSampson was very dashing, and the girls in his de-
partment said they would not be surprised if he married
one of the rich customers. He lived out of town and often
impressed the assistants by putting on his evening clothes
in the office. Sometimes he would be seen by those on
sweeping duty coming in next morning still dressed, and
they would wink gravely to one another while he went into
his office and changed into a frock coat. On these occasions,
having slipped out for a hurried breakfast, he also would
wink at Philip as he walked up the stairs on his way back
and rub his hands.
‘What a night! What a night!’ he said. ‘My word!’
He told Philip that he was the only gentleman there, and
he and Philip were the only fellows who knew what life was.
Having said this, he changed his manner suddenly, called
Philip Mr. Carey instead of old boy, assumed the impor-
tance due to his position as buyer, and put Philip back into
his place of shop-walker.
Lynn and Sedley received fashion papers from Paris once
a week and adapted the costumes illustrated in them to the
needs of their customers. Their clientele was peculiar. The
most substantial part consisted of women from the smaller
manufacturing towns, who were too elegant to have their