hesaid，withhisfingerontheword，andadded，“Thereisabsolutelynodeception，sir。“
Heseemedtobecarryingoutthejokeprettythoroughly，Ithought。
HeturnedtoGipwithasmileofremarkableaffability。“You，youknow，aretheRightSortofBoy。“
Iwassurprisedathisknowingthat，because，intheinterestsofdiscipline，wekeepitratherasecretevenathome；butGipreceiveditinunflinchingsilence，keepingasteadfasteyeonhim。
“It’sonlytheRightSortofBoygetsthroughthatdoorway。“
And，asifbywayofillustration，therecamearattlingatthedoor，andasqueakinglittlevoicecouldbefaintlyheard。“Nyar！IWARN’agointhere，dadda，IWARN’agointhere。Ny-a-a-ah！“andthentheaccentsofadown-troddenparent，urgingconsolationsandpropitiations。“It’slocked，Edward，“hesaid。
“Butitisn’t，“saidI。
“Itis，sir，“saidtheshopman，“always——forthatsortofchild，“
andashespokewehadaglimpseoftheotheryoungster，alittle，whiteface，pallidfromsweet-eatingandover-sapidfood，anddistortedbyevilpassions，aruthlesslittleegotist，pawingattheenchantedpane。“It’snogood，sir，“saidtheshopman，asImoved，withmynaturalhelpfulness，doorward，andpresentlythespoiltchildwascarriedoffhowling。
“Howdoyoumanagethat？“Isaid，breathingalittlemorefreely。
“Magic！“saidtheshopman，withacarelesswaveofthehand，andbehold！
sparksofcolouredfireflewoutofhisfingersandvanishedintotheshadowsoftheshop。
“Youweresaying，“hesaid，addressinghimselftoGip，“beforeyoucamein，thatyouwouldlikeoneofour’BuyOneandAstonishyourFriends’boxes？“
Gip，afteragallanteffort，said“Yes。“
“It’sinyourpocket。“
Andleaningoverthecounter——hereallyhadanextraordinarilylongbody——thisamazingpersonproducedthearticleinthecustomaryconjurer’smanner。“Paper，“hesaid，andtookasheetoutoftheemptyhatwiththesprings；“string，“andbeholdhismouthwasastring-box，fromwhichhedrewanunendingthread，whichwhenhehadtiedhisparcelhebitoff——and，itseemedtome，swallowedtheballofstring。Andthenhelitacandleatthenoseofoneoftheventriloquist’sdummies，stuckoneofhisfingers(whichhadbecomesealing-waxred)intotheflame，andsosealedtheparcel。
“ThentherewastheDisappearingEgg，“heremarked，andproducedonefromwithinmycoat-breastandpackedit，andalsoTheCryingBaby，VeryHuman。IhandedeachparceltoGipasitwasready，andheclaspedthemtohischest。
Hesaidverylittle，buthiseyeswereeloquent；theclutchofhisarmswaseloquent。Hewastheplaygroundofunspeakableemotions。
These，youknow，wereREALMagics。Then，withastart，Idiscoveredsomethingmovingaboutinmyhat——somethingsoftandjumpy。Iwhippeditoff，andaruffledpigeon——nodoubtaconfederate——droppedoutandranonthecounter，andwent，Ifancy，intoacardboardboxbehindthepapier-machetiger。
“Tut，tut！“saidtheshopman，dexterouslyrelievingmeofmyheaddress；
“carelessbird，and——asIlive——nesting！“
Heshookmyhat，andshookoutintohisextendedhandtwoorthreeeggs，alargemarble，awatch，abouthalf-a-dozenoftheinevitableglassballs，andthencrumpled，crinkledpaper，moreandmoreandmore，talkingallthetimeofthewayinwhichpeopleneglecttobrushtheirhatsINSIDEaswellasout，politely，ofcourse，butwithacertainpersonalapplication。“Allsortsofthingsaccumulate，sir……NotYOU，ofcourse，inparticular……Nearlyeverycustomer……Astonishingwhattheycarryaboutwiththem……“
Thecrumpledpaperroseandbillowedonthecountermoreandmoreandmore，untilhewasnearlyhiddenfromus，untilhewasaltogetherhidden，andstillhisvoicewentonandon。“Wenoneofusknowwhatthefairsemblanceofahumanbeingmayconceal，sir。Areweallthennobetterthanbrushedexteriors，whitedsepulchres——“
Hisvoicestopped——exactlylikewhenyouhitaneighbour’sgramophonewithawell-aimedbrick，thesameinstantsilence，andtherustleofthepaperstopped，andeverythingwasstill……
“Haveyoudonewithmyhat？“Isaid，afteraninterval。
Therewasnoanswer。
IstaredatGip，andGipstaredatme，andtherewereourdistortionsinthemagicmirrors，lookingveryrum，andgrave，andquiet……
“Ithinkwe’llgonow，“Isaid。“Willyoutellmehowmuchallthiscomesto？。
“Isay，“Isaid，onaratherloudernote，“Iwantthebill；andmyhat，please。“
Itmighthavebeenasnifffrombehindthepaperpile……
“Let’slookbehindthecounter，Gip，“Isaid。“He’smakingfunofus。“
IledGiproundthehead-waggingtiger，andwhatdoyouthinktherewasbehindthecounter？Nooneatall！Onlymyhatonthefloor，andacommonconjurer’slop-earedwhiterabbitlostinmeditation，andlookingasstupidandcrumpledasonlyaconjurer’srabbitcando。Iresumedmyhat，andtherabbitlollopedalolloporsooutofmyway。
“Dadda！“saidGip，inaguiltywhisper。
“Whatisit，Gip？“saidI。
“IDOlikethisshop，dadda。“
“SoshouldI，“Isaidtomyself，“ifthecounterwouldn’tsuddenlyextenditselftoshutoneofffromthedoor。“ButIdidn’tcallGip’sattentiontothat。“Pussy！“hesaid，withahandouttotherabbitasitcamelollopingpastus；“Pussy，doGipamagic！“
andhiseyesfolloweditasitsqueezedthroughadoorIhadcertainlynotremarkedamomentbefore。Thenthisdooropenedwider，andthemanwithoneearlargerthantheotherappearedagain。
Hewassmilingstill，buthiseyemetminewithsomethingbetweenamusementanddefiance。“You’dliketoseeourshow-room，sir，“hesaid，withaninnocentsuavity。Giptuggedmyfingerforward。I
glancedatthecounterandmettheshopman’seyeagain。Iwasbeginningtothinkthemagicjustalittletoogenuine。“Wehaven’tVERYmuchtime，“Isaid。Butsomehowwewereinsidetheshow-roombeforeIcouldfinishthat。
“Allgoodsofthesamequality，“saidtheshopman，rubbinghisflexiblehandstogether，“andthatistheBest。Nothingintheplacethatisn’tgenuineMagic，andwarrantedthoroughlyrum。Excuseme，sir！“
Ifelthimpullatsomethingthatclungtomycoat-sleeve，andthenIsawheheldalittle，wrigglingreddemonbythetail——thelittlecreaturebitandfoughtandtriedtogetathishand——andinamomenthetosseditcarelesslybehindacounter。Nodoubtthethingwasonlyanimageoftwistedindiarubber，butforthemoment——！Andhisgesturewasexactlythatofamanwhohandlessomepettybitingbitofvermin。IglancedatGip，butGipwaslookingatamagicrocking-
horse。Iwasgladhehadn’tseenthething。“Isay，“Isaid，inanundertone，andindicatingGipandthereddemonwithmyeyes，“youhaven’tmanythingslikeTHATabout，haveyou？“
“Noneofours！Probablybroughtitwithyou，“saidtheshopman——
alsoinanundertone，andwithamoredazzlingsmilethanever。
“AstonishingwhatpeopleWILLcarryaboutwiththemunawares！“
AndthentoGip，“Doyouseeanythingyoufancyhere？“
ThereweremanythingsthatGipfanciedthere。
Heturnedtothisastonishingtradesmanwithmingledconfidenceandrespect。“IsthataMagicSword？“hesaid。
“AMagicToySword。Itneitherbends，breaks，norcutsthefingers。
Itrendersthebearerinvincibleinbattleagainstanyoneundereighteen。Half-a-crowntosevenandsixpence，accordingtosize。Thesepanopliesoncardsareforjuvenileknights-errantandveryuseful——
shieldofsafety，sandalsofswiftness，helmetofinvisibility。“
“Oh，daddy！“gaspedGip。
Itriedtofindoutwhattheycost，buttheshopmandidnotheedme。
HehadgotGipnow；hehadgothimawayfrommyfinger；hehadembarkedupontheexpositionofallhisconfoundedstock，andnothingwasgoingtostophim。PresentlyIsawwithaqualmofdistrustandsomethingverylikejealousythatGiphadholdofthisperson’sfingerasusuallyhehasholdofmine。Nodoubtthefellowwasinteresting，Ithought，andhadaninterestinglyfakedlotofstuff，reallyGOODfakedstuff，still——
Iwanderedafterthem，sayingverylittle，butkeepinganeyeonthisprestidigitalfellow。Afterall，Gipwasenjoyingit。
Andnodoubtwhenthetimecametogoweshouldbeabletogoquiteeasily。
Itwasalong，ramblingplace，thatshow-room，agallerybrokenupbystandsandstallsandpillars，witharchwaysleadingofftootherdepartments，inwhichthequeerest-lookingassistantsloafedandstaredatone，andwithperplexingmirrorsandcurtains。Soperplexing，indeed，werethesethatIwaspresentlyunabletomakeoutthedoorbywhichwehadcome。
