Chapter107

mr.sampson,thebuyer,tookafancytophilip.mr.sampsonwasverydashing,andthegirlsinhisdepartmentsaidtheywouldnotbesurprisedifhemarriedoneoftherichcustomers.helivedoutoftownandoftenimpressedtheassistantsbyputtingonhiseveningclothesintheoffice.sometimeshewouldbeseenbythoseonsweepingdutycominginnextmorningstilldressed,andtheywouldwinkgravelytooneanotherwhilehewentintohisofficeandchangedintoafrockcoat.ontheseoccasions,havingslippedoutforahurriedbreakfast,healsowouldwinkatphilipashewalkedupthestairsonhiswaybackandrubhishands.

“whatanight!whatanight!”hesaid.“myword!”  hetoldphilipthathewastheonlygentlemanthere,andheandphilipweretheonlyfellowswhoknewwhatlifewas.havingsaidthis,hechangedhismannersuddenly,calledphilipmr.careyinsteadofoldboy,assumedtheimportanceduetohispositionasbuyer,andputphilipbackintohisplaceofshop-walker.

lynnandsedleyreceivedfashionpapersfromparisonceaweekandadaptedthecostumesillustratedinthemtotheneedsoftheircustomers.theirclientelewaspeculiar.themostsubstantialpartconsistedofwomenfromthesmallermanufacturingtowns,whoweretooeleganttohavetheirfrocksmadelocallyandnotsufficientlyacquaintedwithlondontodiscovergooddressmakerswithintheirmeans.besidethese,incongruously,wasalargenumberofmusic-hallartistes.thiswasaconnectionthatmr.sampsonhadworkedupforhimselfandtookgreatpridein.theyhadbegunbygettingtheirstage-costumesatlynn’s,

andhehadinducedmanyofthemtogettheirotherclothesthereaswell.

“asgoodaspaquinandhalftheprice,”hesaid.

hehadapersuasive,hail-fellowwell-metairwithhimwhichappealedtocustomersofthissort,andtheysaidtooneanother:

“what’sthegoodofthrowingmoneyawaywhenyoucangetacoatandskirtatlynn’sthatnobodyknowsdon’tcomefromparis?”

mr.sampsonwasveryproudofhisfriendshipwiththepopularfavouriteswhosefrockshemade,andwhenhewentouttodinnerattwoo’clockonsundaywithmissvictoriavirgo—”shewaswearingthatpowderbluewemadeherandilayshedidn’tletonitcomefromus,i‘adtotellhermeselfthatifi‘adn’tdesigneditwithmyown‘andsi’dhavesaiditmustcomefrompaquin”—atherbeautifulhouseintulsehill,heregaledthedepartmentnextdaywithabundantdetails.philiphadneverpaidmuchattentiontowomen’sclothes,butincourseoftimehebegan,alittleamusedathimself,totakeatechnicalinterestinthem.hehadaneyeforcolourwhichwasmorehighlytrainedthanthatofanyoneinthedepartment,andhehadkeptfromhisstudentdaysinparissomeknowledgeofline.mr.sampson,anignorantmanconsciousofhisincompetence,butwithashrewdnessthatenabledhimtocombineotherpeople’sestions,constantlyaskedtheopinionoftheassistantsinhisdepartmentinmakingupnewdesigns;andhehadthequicknesstoseethatphilip’scriticismswerevaluable.buthewasveryjealous,andwouldneverallowthathetookanyone’sadvice.whenhehadalteredsomedrawinginaccordancewithphilip’sestion,healwaysfinishedupbysaying:

“well,itcomesroundtomyownideaintheend.”

oneday,whenphiliphadbeenattheshopforfivemonths,missaliceantonia,thewell-knownserio-comic,cameinandaskedtoseemr.sampson.she

wasalargewoman,withflaxenhair,andaboldlypaintedface,ametallicvoice,andthebreezymannerofacomedienneaccustomedtobeonfriendlytermswiththegalleryboysofprovincialmusic-halls.shehadanewsongandwishedmr.sampsontodesignacostumeforher.

“iwantsomethingstriking,”shesaid.“idon’twantanyoldthingyouknow.iwantsomethingdifferentfromwhatanybodyelsehas.”

mr.sampson,blandandfamiliar,saidhewasquitecertaintheycouldgethertheverythingsherequired.heshowedhersketches.

“iknowthere’snothingherethatwoulddo,butijustwanttoshowyouthekindofthingiwouldest.”

“ohno,that’snotthesortofthingatall,”shesaid,assheglancedatthemimpatiently.“whatiwantissomethingthat’lljusthit‘eminthejawandmaketheirfrontteethrattle.”

“yes,iquiteunderstand,missantonia,”saidthebuyer,withablandsmile,buthiseyesgrewblankandstupid.

“iexpectishall‘avetopopovertoparisforitintheend.”

“oh,ithinkwecangiveyousatisfaction,missantonia.whatyoucangetinparisyoucangethere.”

whenshehadsweptoutofthedepartmentmr.sampson,alittleworried,discussedthematterwithmrs.hodges.

“she’sacautionandnomistake,”saidmrs.hodges.

“alice,whereartthou?”remarkedthebuyer,irritably,andthoughthehadscoredapointagainsther.

hisideasofmusic-hallcostumeshadnevergonebeyondshortskirts,aswirloflace,andglitteringsequins;butmissantoniahadexpressedherselfonthatsubjectinnouncertainterms.

“oh,myaunt!”shesaid.

andtheinvocationwasutteredinsuchatoneastoindicatearootedantipathytoanythingso

commonplace,evenifshehadnotaddedthatsequinsgaveherthesick.mr.sampson‘gotout’oneortwoideas,butmrs.hodgestoldhimfranklyshedidnotthinktheywoulddo.itwasshewhogavephiliptheestion:

“canyoudraw,phil?whydon’tyoutryyour‘andandseewhatyoucando?”

philipboughtacheapboxofwatercolours,andintheeveningwhilebell,thenoisyladofsixteen,whistlingthreenotes,busiedhimselfwithhisstamps,hemadeoneortwosketches.herememberedsomeofthecostumeshehadseeninparis,andheadaptedoneofthem,gettinghiseffectfromacombinationofviolent,unusualcolours.theresultamusedhimandnextmorningheshowedittomrs.hodges.shewassomewhatastonished,buttookitatoncetothebuyer.

“it’sunusual,”hesaid,“there’snodenyingthat.”

itpuzzledhim,andatthesametimehistrainedeyesawthatitwouldmakeupadmirably.tosavehisfacehebeganmakingestionsforalteringit,butmrs.hodges,withmoresense,advisedhimtoshowittomissantoniaasitwas.

“it’sneckornothingwithher,andshemaytakeafancytoit.”

“it’sagooddealmorenothingthanneck,”saidmr.sampson,lookingatthedecolletage.“hecandraw,can’the?fancy‘imkeepingitdarkallthistime.”

whenmissantoniawasannounced,thebuyerplacedthedesignonthetableinsuchapositionthatitmustcatchhereyethemomentshewasshownintohisoffice.shepouncedonitatonce.

“what’sthat?”shesaid.“whycan’ti‘avethat?”

“that’sjustanideawegotoutforyou,”saidmr.sampsoncasually.“d’youlikeit?”

“doilikeit!”shesaid.“giveme‘alfapintwithalittledropofgininit.”

“ah,yousee,youdon’thavetogotoparis.you’veonlygottosaywhatyouwantandthereyouare.”

theworkwasputinhandatonce,andphilipfeltquiteathrillofsatisfactionwhenhesawthecostumecompleted.thebuyerandmrs.hodgestookallthecreditofit;buthedidnotcare,andwhenhewentwiththemtothetivolitoseemissantoniawearitforthefirsttimehewasfilledwithelation.inanswertoherquestionsheatlasttoldmrs.hodgeshowhehadlearnttodraw—fearingthatthepeoplehelivedwithwouldthinkhewantedtoputonairs,hehadalwaystakenthegreatestcaretosaynothingabouthispastoccupations—andsherepeatedtheinformationtomr.sampson.thebuyersaidnothingtohimonthesubject,butbegantotreathimalittlemoredeferentiallyandpresentlygavehimdesignstodofortwoofthecountrycustomers.theymetwithsatisfaction.thenhebegantospeaktohisclientsofa“cleveryoungfeller,parisart-student,youknow,”whoworkedforhim;andsoonphilip,ensconcedbehindascreen,inhisshirtsleeves,wasdrawingfrommorningtillnight.sometimeshewassobusythathehadtodineatthreewiththe‘lers.’helikedit,becausetherewerefewofthemandtheywerealltootiredtotalk;thefoodalsowasbetter,foritconsistedofwhatwasleftoverfromthebuyers’table.philip’srisefromshop-walkertodesignerofcostumeshadagreateffectonthedepartment.herealisedthathewasanobjectofenvy.harris,theassistantwiththequeer-shapedhead,whowasthefirstpersonhehadknownattheshopandhadattachedhimselftophilip,couldnotconcealhisbitterness.

“somepeople‘avealltheluck,”hesaid.“you’llbeabuyeryourselfoneofthesedays,andweshallallbecallingyousir.”

hetoldphilipthatheshoulddemandhigherwages,fornotwithstandingthedifficultworkhewasnowengagedin,hereceivednomorethanthesixshillingsaweekwithwhichhestarted.butitwasaticklishmattertoaskforarise.themanagerhadasardonic

wayofdealingwithsuchapplicants.

“thinkyou’reworthmore,doyou?howmuchd’youthinkyou’reworth,eh?”

theassistant,withhisheartinhismouth,wouldestthathethoughtheoughttohaveanothertwoshillingsaweek.

“oh,verywell,ifyouthinkyou’reworthit.youcan‘aveit.”thenhepausedandsometimes,withasteelyeye,added:“andyoucan‘aveyournoticetoo.”

itwasnousethentowithdrawyourrequest,youhadtogo.themanager’sideawasthatassistantswhoweredissatisfieddidnotworkproperly,andiftheywerenotworthariseitwasbettertosackthematonce.theresultwasthattheyneveraskedforoneunlesstheywerepreparedtoleave.philiphesitated.hewasalittlesuspiciousofthemeninhisroomwhotoldhimthatthebuyercouldnotdowithouthim.theyweredecentfellows,buttheirsenseofhumourwasprimitive,anditwouldhaveseemedfunnytothemiftheyhadpersuadedphiliptoaskformorewagesandheweresacked.hecouldnotforgetthemortificationhehadsufferedinlookingforwork,hedidnotwishtoexposehimselftothatagain,andheknewtherewassmallchanceofhisgettingelsewhereapostasdesigner:therewerehundredsofpeopleaboutwhocoulddrawaswellashe.buthewantedmoneyverybadly;hisclotheswerewornout,andtheheavycarpetsrottedhissocksandboots;hehadalmostpersuadedhimselftotaketheventuresomestepwhenonemorning,passingupfrombreakfastinthebasementthroughthepassagethatledtothemanager’soffice,hesawaqueueofmenwaitinginanswertoanadvertisement.therewereaboutahundredofthem,andwhicheverwasengagedwouldbeofferedhiskeepandthesamesixshillingsaweekthatphiliphad.hesawsomeofthemcastenviousglancesathimbecausehehademployment.itmadehimshudder.hedarednotriskit.