She smiled and asked me what I wanted.

I understood that all right; there could have been no mistake about that.

I put down a twenty mark piece on the counter and said: "Please give me a cushion." "She stared at me as if I had asked for a feather bed.

I thought, maybe, she had not heard, so I repeated it louder.

If I had chucked her under the chin she could not have looked more surprised or indignant.
"She said she thought I must be making a mistake.
"I did not want to begin a long conversation and find myself stranded.