"A shop's such a respectable thing to be," said Miriam thoughtfully.

"_I_ could be happy in a shop," he said.

His sense of effect made him pause.

"If I had the right company," he added.

She became very still.

Mr. Polly swerved a little from the conversational ice-run upon which
he had embarked.

"I'm not such a blooming Geezer," he said, "as not to be able to sell
goods a bit. One has to be nosy over one's buying of course. But I
shall do all right."

He stopped, and felt falling, falling through the aching silence that
followed.

"If you get the right company," said Miriam.

"I shall get that all right."

"You don't mean you've got someone--"

He found himself plunging.

"I've got someone in my eye, this minute," he said.