He had armoured his face now in a slightly startled quizzicality, as though, himself detached, he were watching the adventure from a distance.
On the central velvet seat of the boot and shoe department, a lady, with an egret in her hat, was stretching out a slim silk-stockinged foot, waiting for a boot.

She looked with negligent amusement at this common little girl and her singular companion.

This look of hers seemed to affect the women serving, for none came near the little model.

Hilary saw them eyeing her boots, and, suddenly forgetting his role of looker-on, he became very angry.

Taking out his watch, he went up to the eldest woman.
"If somebody," he said, "does not attend this young lady within a minute, I shall make a personal complaint to Mr.Thorn." The hand of the watch, however, had not completed its round before a woman was at the little model's side.