cast a persistently envious eye upon the growth of the dazzling magnificence next door, remarked upon the contrast and timidly suggested that perhaps a touch of paint might benefit the exterior, he said, impressively, 'Not a finger do we lay on it. Them that wants to buy their hats in a painted panopticon can do so, but this is a gentleman's business and I'm going to keep it so.' In this attitude he waited the first attack of the enemy.
With the final steps of restoration and reconstruction completed, at last the opening day of the rival establishment arrived. Astonishing progress had been made during the last week of March and a full blaring column in the Advertiser had announced that the first of April would mark the inauguration of the new establishment. Behind the thick, green blinds and shuttered entrance, a feeling of occult mysticism had prevailed during the whole of the previous day, and through this veil the district manager of the company, who had been deputed to take charge of the local branch for the initial months, had been observed flitting restlessly, like a shadow, symbolic of secrecy. Obviously the policy of the Mungo Company was to dazzle Levenford by their display in one sudden, blinding revelation; they would rend the cover from the windows and the Borough as a whole would be staggered by the vision of what it saw.
Such, at least, were Brodie's ironic thoughts as, on the first of April, he left his house at 9.30 to the second, no sooner, no later, and began the usual walk to his business in exactly his usual manner. As he came down the High Street in perfect composure he looked, although his manner was perhaps a trifle over emphasised, the least perturbed man in Levenford. The satirical nature of his reflections fed his vanity and consolidated his rooted belief in himself, stifling the vague misgiving that had for days fluttered at the back of his brain. Now that the moody period of waiting was at an end and the fight actually begun, he became once more the master of his fate and his bearing now seemed to say, 'Let me get at it. I've been waitin' on this. And now you're ready for me, by God, I'm ready for you.' He loved a fight. Furthermore, he felt spurred in this incentive to contest by his additional anticipation that the heat of the battle would remove his mind from the dull depression into which the blow to his intimate family pride had recently plunged him. Already his heart lifted to the joy of the fight as he told himself that he would show them the stuff that James Brodie was made of, would demonstrate again to the town the spirit that was in him, would, by a crushing defeat to the Mungo up- starts, restore his prestige in the eyes of the Borough to even a higher level than before. With a stiff back and expanded chest, with his stick cocked over his shoulder an exultant mannerism he had not indulged in for months he strode confidently along the street. He reached the new shop, saw instantly that, at last, it was open.
Whilst a lesser man might have, more circumspectly, completed his inspection by peering from the corner of his eye as he walked past, this prying was not in Brodie's nature, and he arrested himself openly, ostentatiously, in the middle of the pavement, and with his stick still upon his shoulder, his feet planted firmly apart, his massive head thrown back, he gazed sardonically at the double-fronted spectacle before him. A deliberate smile spread over his features. A ponderous guffaw shook him. His whole attitude became expressive of his delightful realisation that the display before him was more trashy and newfangled than he had dared to hope, more ludicrous than he had preconceived even in his wildest expectations. One window was crammed from floor to ceiling with hats, hats of every conceivable form, variety and style, mounting upwards in graduated tiers amongst festoons of ties and sprouting bouquets of coloured handkerchiefs, ornamented at tasteful intervals by garlands of socks and stockings, and embellished by an array of gloves arranged like fern fronds, with
limp yet politely extended fingers. The indication that the purpose of this strikingly artistic exhibition was not purely decorative was clearly, yet tactfully, conveyed by the fact that each article bore a small ticket stamped M.H.H., with the price in plain red figures below. But although he perceived this composite tableau, it was, however, the other window which riveted Brodie's quizzical attention, where his contemptuous eyes observed the unthoupht of novelty of two wax figures. Wax figures incredible! Still, there they were, a gentleman of perfect complexion and address gazing with fixed, ambiguous fondness upon the form of a small boy who, from his clear skin, wide blue eyes, and bland innocuous simper was undoubtedly the model son of this model father. They stood, the right hand of the father and the left hand of the son extended with the same delicate gesture, as if to say, 'Here we are. Gaze upon us. We are here for your admiration.'
Their clothing was immaculate, and Brodie's eye travelled from the creases of their trousers to the brilliance of their ties, over the glaze of their collars, the snowy whiteness of their prominent handkerchiefs, the sheen of sock and stocking, to the curly-brimmed Derby on the parental brow and the natty pill box upon the juvenile head, until finally it rested upon the neat card on which was printed:
'Dressed by the M. H. H. Co. Let us do the same for you.'
'Dummies,' muttered Brodie. 'Demned dummies. It's not a hat shop; it's a demned waxworks.' They represented to him the joke of a lifetime, for these figures had never been seen in Levenford although it had been recently rumoured that such innovations were appearing in the larger Glasgow warehouses and he considered that they would soon be the laughingstock of the Borough.
As he remained in arrogant contemplation, suddenly a man came out of the shop, carrying a brown paper parcel. Instantly Brodie's sneer was transfixed by a sudden mortifying apprehension and a pang shot through him like a knife stab. Had they, then, begun to do business already ? He had never seen the man before and he tried to reassure himself that, in all probability, this was merely a belated workman, performing some omitted task or collecting his forgotten gear; nevertheless, the neat parcel aroused his suspicion, disturbed him deeply, and in a less arrogant manner, he moved his firmly rooted limbs and went slowly through his own doorway.
Perry, inevitably, was there to greet him, moved this morning, by the progress of current events, to a more obsequious deference, and bearing in his mind perhaps the faint aspiration that he might, in the face of this new opposition, have the opportunity to show to his patron something of his real value, to achieve in some measure a realisation of his blighted hopes.
'Good morning to you, Mr. Brodie, sir.' For this especial occasion Perry had concocted a mild witticism which he considered in his own mind both clever and amusing, and, plucking up all his courage, he now had the temerity to liberate it upon Brodie. 'This is the first of April, sir,' he said nervously. 'Do you observe the inference, since they,' he always referred to his new neighbours in this ambiguous manner 'since they have opened on All Fools' Day.'
'No,' growled Brodie, looking from under his brows, 'but tell me, you that's so clever.'
'Well, it's all through the town, Mr. Brodie, that you'll make April gowks of them,' gushed Perry, and, as he saw the effect of his remark, he tittered sympathetically, then writhed in the exuberance of his satisfaction, for Brodie had laughed shortly, pleased by the notion of the general adulation of the town implied in Perry's flattering, but, though he knew it not, fabricated remark. His huge fingers flexed in slowly on his palm.
'Ay, I'll mak' a gowk o' them, right enough! I'll take some o' the conceit out o' them, take some o' the gilt off their gingerbread. They don't know who they're up against yet, but, by gad, I'll learn them.' How, exactly, he did not quite know, but at this moment, although he had no vestige of a settled policy in his brain, his confidence in his own ability to crush the opposition was supreme.
'Did ye notice the stookies in the window?' he queried absently.
'Yes! Oh yes! Mr. Brodie. A new idea from the larger houses. Rather original, of course, and up to date.' In the first flush of his conversational success he had almost the optimism to hope that 'the guv'nor' might perhaps order a brace of these intriguing models on the spot. His eyes glowed enthusiastically, but he had perforce to lower them under Brodie's glower, realising that he had this time said, apparently, the wrong thing.
'Up to date, ye say. It's like a deshed museum! They'll have a crowd round that bulter of a window o' theirs.'
'But, sir,' ventured Perry timidly, 'is that not desirable? If you would attract people and draw their attention outside, they're more likely to come inside. It's a sort of advertisement.'
Brodie looked at him obtusely for a moment, then growled angrily,
'Has the same bug been bitin' you, that you're itchin' for the common herd to batter at our doors ? If it has, get the poison out your system quick, or it'll be as much as your job is worth.'
Perry looked at him humbly and observed meekly, 'It's all grist to your mill though, sir.' Then, removing himself to safer ground, he hastened to observe, 'I see they're going in for a sort of general out fitting as well, Mr. Brodie, sir.'
Brodie nodded sullenly.
'You wouldn't care to branch out with a few extra lines yourself sir, a novelty or two perhaps. Say a brace or a smart glove! Very refined indeed, a nice glove, sir.' Perry almost pleaded at the bubbling urge of all the ideas repressed within him.
