Against two sides of this room were arranged shelves filled with boxes labeled in the usual way to indicate their contents.

These did not strike me as being very varied or of a very high order.

There was no counter in front, only some tables on which lay strewn fancy boxes of thread and other useless knick-knacks to which certain shopkeepers appear to cling though they can seldom find customers for them.

A woman stood at one of these tables untangling a skein of red yarn.

Behind her I saw another leaning in an abstracted way over a counter which ran from wall to wall across the extreme end of the shop.