Page:Life in India or Madras, the Neilgherries, and Calcutta.djvu/80

66 head, which is bowed to meet it, in broken English asks leave to show his stock of goods. He is far too great a man, pedlar-like, to carry a pack himself; rustling in white robes, he calls with a lordly air to the almost naked coolies (hired men) who follow him, streaming with perspiration, and bending under the huge green trunks which they carry on their heads.

“Well, hawker, what have you?"

“Plenty fine things, ma'am; mistress only look," and the trunks are lowered from the coolies' heads to the floor. They are opened, and the merchant begins to take out and show every article, enlarging upon its beauty and excellence. The lady interrupts him with—“Have you any jaconet muslin?”

“Plenty got, ma'am! mistress only wait! mistress don't want any collar? very fine collar, this! only ten rupees; very fine, this!"

"No! no! hawker; I have no time; let me see the muslin.” But Mr. Hawker well knows that temptation enters by the eye, and he exhibits all things supposed to be attractive to a lady's heart, until the customer's patience is just exhausted, when, with wonderful quickness, the desired article is produced. The next thing is to settle the price; no easy mat-