Manchurian Books

"It's as straight as--It's fair trading!"
"So much the worse for trading," I said.
"It's the sort of thing everybody does. After all, there's no harm in
the stuff--and it may do good. It might do a lot of good--giving people
confidence, f'rinstance, against an epidemic. See? Why not? don't see
where your swindle comes in."
"H'm," I said. "It's a thing you either see or don't see."
"I'd like to know what sort of trading isn't a swindle in its way.
Everybody who does a large advertised trade is selling something common
on the strength of saying it's uncommon. Look at Chickson--they made him
a baronet. Look at Lord Radmore, who did it on lying about the alkali in
soap! Rippin' ads those were of his too!"
"You don't mean to say you think doing this stuff up in bottles and
swearing it's the quintessence of strength and making poor devils buy it
at that, is straight?"
"Why not, George? How do we know it mayn't be the quintessence to them
so far as they're concerned?"
"Oh!" I said, and shrugged my shoulders.
"There's Faith.


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