百万英镑金钱的魔力原文

百万英镑金钱的魔力原文

I waited patiently. Once he completed his tasks, he led me to a back room and, amidst a pile of returned items, he selected the most unimpressive suit. I changed into it. The clothes were ill-fitting and devoid of appeal, but they were new, and my need for attire was immediate; there was little to complain about. I hesitantly said, "If you could wait two days before settling the account, it would be a great help. I have no small change on me at the moment."The salesman adopted a sneering demeanor, "Oh, you don't have change? Honestly, I figure you wouldn't. I thought folks like you only carry big bills."Annoyed, I retorted, "Friend, you can't judge a newcomer by their attire. I can afford this suit; I simply prefer not to inconvenience you with a large note."He moderated his tone slightly, but the edge remained, "I didn't mean to offend, but if you're going to make things difficult, I must tell you, we can handle whatever kind of note you've brought. We're not afraid of a bit of paperwork."I handed him the banknote, "All right; my apologies."He accepted it with a smile, a smile that was anything but genuine, like ripples in a pool after a stone is thrown; but upon a brief glance at the note, his smile froze, his expression transforming like solidified lava at the foot of Mount Vesuvius. I had never seen a smile fixed in such a timeless manner. The man stood there, holding the note, his gaze fixed. The shop owner approached, inquiry bright in his eyes, "What's the matter? What's wrong? What do you need?"I replied, "There's nothing wrong. I'm just waiting for my change.""Quickly, quickly; give him his change, Todd. Give him his change."Todd retorted sarcastically, "Give him change! Easy for you to say, sir. Take a look for yourself; you'll see."The boss looked, letting out a low, pleasant whistle, then dived into the pile of returned clothes, sifting through them eagerly, muttering to himself as if in another world: "Selling a shabby suit to an extraordinary millionaire! Todd, the fool! Always making a mess of things. Driving millionaires away with his inability to tell a millionaire from a tramp. But never mind. Things don't always go according to plan—Hey! I've found what I was looking for. Sir, please take off these clothes and throw them in the fire. Do me a favor and wear this shirt and suit; it fits perfectly— neat, stylish, dignified, fit for a prince. This was made for a foreign prince—you might know him, His Excelency Harryfax Hessendorf; he left it here and had another made for mourning because his mother was dying—but she didn't die. Never mind that; things can't always—these, sir; hey! Perfect—absolutely perfect! I've been in this business all my life and never seen such a fine suit!"I expressed my satisfaction."You're too kind, sir, too kind. I'm sure this suit will do for now. But wait, you'll see us making clothes to fit you perfectly. Quickly, Todd, get the measuring tape and notebook; I'll dictate. Pants length, thirty-two inches—” and so on. Before I could say anything, he had finished measuring and was already ordering evening wear, morning wear, shirts, and a variety of other garments. Taking advantage of a pause, I said, "Dear sir, I cannot order these clothes unless you agree to a later checkout date, or else I will have to exchange this note.""A later date! That's not fair, sir, not fair. It should be forever—like this, sir. Todd, hurry up and make these clothes; don't delay. Deliver them to this gentleman's house. Let the unimportant customers wait. Write down this gentleman's address, and then—”"I'm moving. I'll come back and leave my new address.""You're too kind, sir, too kind. Wait—I'll see you to the door, sir. Well—goodbye, sir, goodbye."