272.出售東西,附送殷勤
出售東西,附送殷勤。這才是最令人感激的。感興趣的顧客所出的價錢,絕比不上感恩之人的回禮。殷勤真不是贈品,但它確實讓人感恩。慷慨就是最大的恩情。對于正直之人,最貴重的就是贈予他的東西--這等于兩次賣給他東西,于是就有了雙倍的價錢:一是東西的價值,二是你的彬彬有禮。同時,粗俗之人確實會覺得你的慷慨有點奇怪,因為他們根本聽不懂有教養(yǎng)的語言。
272.Sell things by the tariff of courtesy
Sell things by the tariff of courtesy. You oblige people most that way. The bid of an interested buyer will never equal the return gift of an honourable recipient of a favour. Courtesy does not really make presents, but really lays men under obligation, and generosity is the great obligation. To a right-minded man nothing costs more dear that what is given him: you sell it him twice and for two prices: one for the value, one for the politeness. At the same time it is true that with vulgar souls generosity is gibberish, for they do not understand the language of good breeding.