It always made M. Tod a little nervous when her assistant addressed her in such correct speech. “Business,” she began, and halted. She set the ink-pot on the counter, and tried to put the duster in her pocket. “A few words will suffice,” the girl remarked encouragingly, and took charge of the duster. “Business,” resumed the old woman, and quite unconsciously put her hands behind her back, “business is jist buyin’ and sellin’.” And she gave a little smile of relief and satisfaction. Christina shook her head. “I suppose that’s what they taught ye at the schule――jist the same as they taught me. If it wasna for their fancy departments, sich as physiology an’ Sweedish drill, the schules wud be oot o’ date. ‘Jist buyin’ an’ sellin’!’――Oh, Christopher Columbus!” M. Tod was annoyed, partly, no doubt, at discovering her hands behind her back, but ere she could express herself Christina added: “In _ma_ honest opinion business chiefly consists in folk coddin’ yin anither.” M. Tod gasped. “Coddin’! D’ye mean deceivin’?” “Na; there’s a difference between coddin’ an’ deceivin’. Same sort o’ difference as between war an’ murder. An’ they say that all’s fair in love――I ha’e ma doobts aboot love――an’ war. Mind ye, I’m no’ sayin’ onything against coddin’. We’re a’ in the same boat. Some cods wi’ advertisin’――see daily papers; some cods wi’ talk; some cods wi’ lookin’ solemn an’ smilin’ jist at the right times. But we’re a’ coddin’, cod, cod, coddin’! But we’ll no’ admit it! An’ naebody wud thank us if we did.” The old woman was almost angry. “I’m sure I never codded a customer in ma life,” she cried. Christina regarded her very kindly for a second or two ere she returned pleasantly: “I wudna say but what you’re an exception to the rule, Miss Tod. But ye’re a rare exception. Even ma uncle――an’ he’s the honestest man in the world――once codded me when I was assistin’ ma aunt at Kilmabeg, afore she got married. Wi’ his talk an’ his smiles he got me to buy things against ma better judgment――things I was sure wud never sell. If he had been dumb an’ I had been blind, I would never ha’e made the purchase. But I was young then. Of course _he_ didna want to cod me; it was jist a habit he had got into wi’ bein’ in business. But there’s nae doobt,” she went on calmly, ignoring M. Tod’s obvious desire to get a word in, “there’s nae doobt that coddin’ is yin o’ the secrets o’ success. When ye consider that half the trade o’ the world consists in sellin’ things that folk dinna need an’ whiles dinna want――――” “Whisht, lassie! Ye speak as if naebody had a conscience!” “I didna mean that,” was the mild reply. “It’s the only thing in this world that’s no’ easy codded――though some folk seem to be able to do the trick. For, of course, there’s a limit to coddin’ in business――fair coddin’, I mean. But ye’ve taken ma remarks ower seriously, Miss Tod.” “I never heard sich remarks in a’ ma days.” “I’m sorry I’ve annoyed ye.”