Down one side of River Street to its last shop, and up the other, they progressed haltingly.

At many of the windows the capitalist displayed interest only of the most academic character.

At others he made sportive threats.

Thus before the jewellery shop of Rapp Brothers he quite unnerved Merle by announcing that he could buy everything in that window if he wanted to--necklaces and rings and pins and gold watches--and he might do this.

If, say, he did buy that black marble clock with the prancing gold horse on it, would Merle take it home for him?
He had no intention of buying this object--he had never found clocks anything but a source of annoyance--but he toyed with the suggestion when he saw that it agitated his brother.