I concluded I would bunch my whole invoice right here, and not go pricing around any more.
So I got rid of Marco, by sending him off to invite the mason and the wheelwright, which left the field free to me.

For I never care to do a thing in a quiet way; it's got to be theatrical or I don't take any interest in it.

I showed up money enough, in a careless way, to corral the shopkeeper's respect, and then I wrote down a list of the things I wanted, and handed it to him to see if he could read it.

He could, and was proud to show that he could.
He said he had been educated by a priest, and could both read and write.

He ran it through, and remarked with satisfaction that it was a pretty heavy bill.