Some were apparently
half-witted, and must be talked over by the hour before
they could reach the humblest decision, which they only
left the office to return again (ten minutes later) and
rescind. Others came with a vast show of hurry and
despatch, but I observed it to be principally show.
The agricultural model, for instance, which was
practicable, proved a kind of fly-paper for these
busybodies. I have seen them blankly turn the crank of
it for five minutes at a time, simulating (to nobody's
deception) business interest: " Good thing this,
Pinkerton? Sell much of it? Ha! Couldn't use it, I
suppose, as a medium of advertisement for my article?"-
-which was perhaps toilet soap. Others (a still worse
variety) carried us to neighbouring saloons to dice for
cocktails and (after the cocktails were paid) for
dollars on a corner of the counter. The attraction of
dice for all these people was, indeed, extraordinary:
at a certain club where I once dined in the character
of "my partner, Mr. Dodd," the dice-box came on the
table with the wine, an artless substitute for after-
dinner wit.
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