Then he would back down-stairs, muttering to himself all the time; his chief cause of complaint being the hiding of so many things his customers might want to buy and the displaying of so many others at which they might only want to look! There was, however, even after the decorations seemed complete, a bare corner to be filled with something neither too big, nor too small, nor too insistent in color or form.

Felix went twice over the stock, old and new, twisted and turned, and was about to give up when he suddenly called to Masie, his face lighting under the glow of a fresh inspiration: "I have it now! Come, Tootcums, with me! Mr.Sanderson will help us out." All of which came true; for Mr.Sanderson, ten minutes later, had bent his head close to the child's lips to hear the better, and had said: "Only two?
Why, Masie, you can have the lot." And that was how the bare corner was filled with three great palms--the biggest he had in his shop--and the grand salon of the Grande Duchesse Masie Beeswings de Kling at last made ready for her guests.
This done, Felix made a final inspection of the room, adding a touch here and there--shifting a piece of pottery or redraping the frayed end of a square of tapestry--and finding that everything kept its place in the general effect, without a single discordant note, drew Masie to a seat beside him on one of the old Venetian chests.

Here, with his arms about the enthusiastic child, he laid bare the next and to him the most important number on the programme.
And in this he wrought another upheaval, one almost as great as had taken place in the room.

The time-honored custom of all birthday parties entailing upon the invited the giving of presents as proof of affection, was not, he hinted gently, to be observed upon this occasion.

"It is Masie who is to give the presents," he whispered, holding her closer, "and not her guests." The child at first had protested.