'You see how your sins find you
out.'
'Yes, sir.'
'I say, Shawn,' Hugo cried, as he went to his bath, 'talking of that
chap up above, play me the Captives' chorus from "Fidelio."'
'It is not in the repertoire, sir,' said Simon, after searching.
'Not in the repertoire! Impossible!'
'No, sir.'
'Ah well, then, let us have the Wedding March from "Lohengrin."'
'With pleasure, sir.'
But Simon was unfortunate that morning. The toilet completed, Hugo came
towards him swinging the gold token, the bearer of which had the right
to take whatever he chose from all the hundred and thirty-one
departments of the stores in exchange for a simple receipt.
'I will interview the burglar,' said Hugo. 'But just run down first and
get me a pair of handcuffs.'
In ten minutes Simon returned crestfallen.
'We do not keep handcuffs, sir,' he stammered.
'Not--keep--! What nonsense! First you tell me that "Fidelio" is not in
the repertoire, and then you have the effrontery to add that we do not
keep handcuffs. Shawn, are you not aware that the fundamental principle
of this establishment is that we keep everything? If we received an
order for a herd of white elephants--'
'No doubt our arrangement with Jamrach's would enable us to supply them,
sir,' Simon put in rapidly.
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