The Second Thoughts of an Idle Fellow

“Now, which would you advise, dear? You see, with the red I shan’t be able to wear my magenta hat.”

“Yes—yes, I think the grey will be more useful.”

“Yes, and it’s a pretty grey. You know what I mean, dear; not a common grey. Of course grey is always an uninteresting colour.”

“And then again, what I feel about the red is that it is so warm-looking. Red makes you feel warm even when you’re not warm. You know what I mean, dear!”

“Well then, why not have the red? It suits you—red.”

“Well, when you’ve got a colour, I mean, of course!”

“Yes, that is the drawback to red. No, I think, on the whole, the grey is safer.”

“Yes, I think I’d better; don’t you, dear?”

“And it is good wearing stuff. I shall have it trimmed with— Oh! you haven’t cut it off, have you?”

“Well, don’t for a moment. Just let me have another look at the red. You see, dear, it has just occurred to me—that chinchilla would look so well on the red!”

“And, you see, I’ve got the chinchilla.”

“Well, there is the hat I’m thinking of.”

“You haven’t anything else you could wear with that?”

“Nothing at all, and it would go so beautifully with the grey.—Yes, I think I’ll have the grey. It’s always a safe colour—grey.”

“Fourteen yards I think you said, madam?”

“Yes, fourteen yards will be enough; because I shall mix it with—One minute. You see, dear, if I take the grey I shall have nothing to wear with my black jacket.”

“I should have the red then. You evidently fancy it yourself.”