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stayed　their　stomachs　in　the　ultimate　obscure　than　they　had　done　in

the　upper　air　of　mere　frequent　shocks。　　The　thing　they　could　now

oftenest　say　to　each　other　was　that　they　knew　what　they　meant；　and

the　sentiment　with　which；　all　round；　they　knew　it　was　known　had

well…nigh　amounted　to　a　promise　not　again　to　fall　apart。



Mrs。　Jordan　was　at　present　fairly　dazzling　on　the　subject　of　the

way　that；　in　the　practice　of　her　fairy　art；　as　she　called　it；　she

more　than　peeped　inshe　penetrated。　　There　was　not　a　house　of　the

great　kindand　it　was　of　course　only　a　question　of　those；　real

homes　of　luxuryin　which　she　was　not；　at　the　rate　such　people　now

had　things；　all　over　the　place。　　The　girl　felt　before　the　picture

the　cold　breath　of　disinheritance　as　much　as　she　had　ever　felt　it

in　the　cage；　she　knew　moreover　how　much　she　betrayed　this；　for　the

experience　of　poverty　had　begun；　in　her　life；　too　early；　and　her

ignorance　of　the　requirements　of　homes　of　luxury　had　grown；　with

other　active　knowledge；　a　depth　of　simplification。　　She　had

accordingly　at　first　often　found　that　in　these　colloquies　she　could

only　pretend　she　understood。　　Educated　as　she　had　rapidly　been　by

her　chances　at　Cocker's；　there　were　still　strange　gaps　in　her

learningshe　could　never；　like　Mrs。　Jordan；　have　found　her　way

about　one　of　the　〃homes。〃　　Little　by　little；　however；　she　had

caught　on；　above　all　in　the　light　of　what　Mrs。　Jordan's　redemption

had　materially　made　of　that　lady；　giving　her；　though　the　years　and

the　struggles　had　naturally　not　straightened　a　feature；　an　almost

super…eminent　air。　　There　were　women　in　and　out　of　Cocker's　who

were　quite　nice　and　who　yet　didn't　look　well；　whereas　Mrs。　Jordan

looked　well　and　yet；　with　her　extraordinarily　protrusive　teeth；　was

by　no　means　quite　nice。　　It　would　seem；　mystifyingly；　that　it　might

really　come　from　all　the　greatness　she　could　live　with。　　It　was

fine　to　hear　her　talk　so　often　of　dinners　of　twenty　and　of　her

doing；　as　she　said；　exactly　as　she　liked　with　them。　　She　spoke　as

if；　for　that　matter；　she　invited　the　company。　　〃They　simply　give　me

the　tableall　the　rest；　all　the　other　effects；　come　afterwards。〃







CHAPTER　VII







〃Then　you　DO　see　them？〃　the　girl　again　asked。



Mrs。　Jordan　hesitated；　and　indeed　the　point　had　been　ambiguous

before。　　〃Do　you　mean　the　guests？〃



Her　young　friend；　cautious　about　an　undue　exposure　of　innocence；

was　not　quite　sure。　　〃Wellthe　people　who　live　there。〃



〃Lady　Ventnor？　　Mrs。　Bubb？　　Lord　Rye？　　Dear；　yes。　　Why　they　LIKE

one。〃



〃But　does　one　personally　KNOW　them？〃　our　young　lady　went　on；　since

that　was　the　way　to　speak。　　〃I　mean　socially；　don't　you　know？as

you　know　ME。〃



〃They're　not　so　nice　as　you！〃　Mrs。　Jordan　charmingly　cried。　　〃But　I

SHALL　see　more　and　more　of　them。〃



Ah　this　was　the　old　story。　　〃But　how　soon？〃



〃Why　almost　any　day。　　Of　course；〃　Mrs。　Jordan　honestly　added；

〃they're　nearly　always　out。〃



〃Then　why　do　they　want　flowers　all　over？〃



〃Oh　that　doesn't　make　any　difference。〃　　Mrs。　Jordan　was　not

philosophic；　she　was　just　evidently　determined　it　SHOULDN'T　make

any。　　〃They're　awfully　interested　in　my　ideas；　and　it's　inevitable

they　should　meet　me　over　them。〃



Her　interlocutress　was　sturdy　enough。　　〃What　do　you　call　your

ideas？〃



Mrs。　Jordan's　reply　was　fine。　　〃If　you　were　to　see　me　some　day　with

a　thousand　tulips　you'd　discover。〃



〃A　thousand？〃the　girl　gaped　at　such　a　revelation　of　the　scale　of

it；　she　felt　for　the　instant　fairly　planted　out。　　〃Well；　but　if　in

fact　they　never　do　meet　you？〃　she　none　the　less　pessimistically

insisted。



〃Never？　　They　OFTEN　doand　evidently　quite　on　purpose。　　We　have

grand　long　talks。〃



There　was　something　in　our　young　lady　that　could　still　stay　her

from　asking　for　a　personal　description　of　these　apparitions；　that

showed　too　starved　a　state。　　But　while　she　considered　she　took　in

afresh　the　whole　of　the　clergyman's　widow。　　Mrs。　Jordan　couldn't

help　her　teeth；　and　her　sleeves　were　a　distinct　rise　in　the　world。

A　thousand　tulips　at　a　shilling　clearly　took　one　further　than　a

thousand　words　at　a　penny；　and　the　betrothed　of　Mr。　Mudge；　in　whom

the　sense　of　the　race　for　life　was　always　acute；　found　herself

wondering；　with　a　twinge　of　her　easy　jealousy；　if　it　mightn't　after

all　then；　for　HER　also；　be　betterbetter　than　where　she　wasto

follow　some　such　scent。　　Where　she　was　was　where　Mr。　Buckton's

elbow　could　freely　enter　her　right　side　and　the　counter…clerk's

breathinghe　had　something　the　matter　with　his　nosepervade　her

left　ear。　　It　was　something　to　fill　an　office　under　Government；　and

she　knew　but　too　well　there　were　places　commoner　still　than

Cocker's；　but　it　needed　no　great　range　of　taste　to　bring　home　to

her　the　picture　of　servitude　and　promiscuity　she　couldn't　but　offer

to　the　eye　of　comparative　freedom。　　She　was　so　boxed　up　with　her

young　men；　and　anything　like　a　margin　so　absent；　that　it　needed

more　art　than　she　should　ever　possess　to　pretend　in　the　least　to

compass；　with　any　one　in　the　nature　of　an　acquaintancesay　with

Mrs。　Jordan　herself；　flying　in；　as　it　might　happen；　to　wire

sympathetically　to　Mrs。　Bubban　approach　to　a　relation　of　elegant

privacy。　　She　remembered　the　day　when　Mrs。　Jordan　HAD；　in　fact；　by

the　greatest　chance；　come　in　with　fifty…three　words　for　Lord　Rye

and　a　five…pound　note　to　change。　　This　had　been　the　dramatic　manner

of　their　reuniontheir　mutual　recognition　was　so　great　an　event。

The　girl　could　at　first　only　see　her　from　the　waist　up；　besides

making　but　little　of　her　long　telegram　to　his　lordship。　　It　was　a

strange　whirligig　that　had　converted　the　clergyman's　widow　into

such　a　specimen　of　the　class　that　went　beyond　the　sixpence。



Nothing　of　the　occasion；　all　the　more；　had　ever　become　dim；　least

of　all　the　way　that；　as　her　recovered　friend　looked　up　from

counting；　Mrs。　Jordan　had　just　blown；　in　explanation；　through　her

teeth　and　through　the　bars　of　the　cage：　　〃I　DO　flowers；　you　know。〃

Our　young　woman　had　always；　with　her　little　finger　crooked　out；　a

pretty　movement　for　counting；　and　she　had　not　forgotten　the　small

secret　advantage；　a　sharpness　of　triumph　it　might　even　have　been

called；　that　fell　upon　her　at　this　moment　and　avenged　her　for　the

incoherence　of　the　message；　an　unintelligible　enumeration　of

numbers；　colours；　days；　hours。　　The　correspondence　of　people　she

didn't　know　was　one　thing；　but　the　correspondence　of　people　she　did

had　an　aspect　of　its　own　for　her　even　when　she　couldn't　understand

it。　　The　speech　in　which　Mrs。　Jordan　had　defined　a　position　and

announced　a　profession　was　like　a　tinkle　of　bluebells；　but　for

herself　her　one　idea　about　flowers　was　that　people　had　them　at

funerals；　and　her　present　sole　gleam　of　light　was　that　lords

probably　had　them　most。　　When　she　watched；　a　minute　later；　through

the　cage；　the　swing　of　her　visitor's　departing　petticoats；　she　saw

the　sight　from　the　waist　down；　and　when　the　counter…clerk；　after　a

mere　male　glance；　remarked；　with　an　intention　unmistakeably　low；

〃Handsome　woman！〃　she　had　for　him　the　finest　of　her　chills：　　〃She's

the　widow　of　a　bishop。〃　　She　always　felt；　with　the　counter…clerk；

that　it　was　impossible　sufficiently　to　put　it　on；　for　what　she

wished　to　express　to　him　was　the　maximum　of　her　contempt；　and　that

element　in　her　nature　was　confusedly　stored。　　〃A　bishop〃　was

putting　it　on；　but　the　counter…clerk's　approaches　were　vile。　　The

night；　after　this；　when；　in　the　fulness　of　time；　Mrs。　Jordan

mentioned　the　grand　long　talks；　the　girl　at　last　brought　out：

〃Should　I　see　them？I　mean　if　I　WERE　to　give　up　everything　for

you。〃



Mrs。　Jordan　at　this　became　most　arch。　　〃I'd　send　you　to　all　the

bachelors！〃



Our　young　lady　could　be　reminded　by　such　a　remark　that　she　usually

struck　her　friend　as　pretty。　　〃Do　THEY　have　their　flowers？〃



〃Oceans。　　And　they're　the　most　particular。〃　　Oh　it　was　a　wonderful

world。　　〃You　should　see　Lord　Rye's。〃



〃His　flowers？〃



〃Yes；　and　his　letters。　　He　writes　me　pages　on　pageswith　the　most

adorable　little　drawings　and　plans。　　You　should　see　his　diagrams！〃







CHAPTER　VIII







The　girl　had　in　course　of　time　every　opportunity　to　inspect　these

documents；　and　they　a　little　disappointed　her；　but　in　the　mean

while　there　had　been　more　talk；　and　it　had　led　to　her　saying；　as　if

her　friend's　guarantee　of　a　life　of　elegance　were　not　quite

definite：　　〃Well；　I　see　every　one　at　MY　place。〃



〃Every　one？〃



〃Lots　of　swells。　　They　flock。　　They　live；　you　know；　all　round；　and

the　place　is　filled　with　all　the　smart　people；　all　the　fast　people；

those　whose　names　are　in　the　papersmamma　has　still　The　Morning

Postand　who　come　up　for　the　season。〃



Mrs。　Jordan　took　this　in　with　complete　intelligence。　　〃Yes；　and　I

dare　say　it's　some　of　your　people　that　I　do。〃



Her　companion　assented；　but　discriminated。　　〃I　doubt　if　you　'do'

them　as　much　as　I！　　Their　affairs；　their　appointments　and

arrangements；　their　little　games　and　secrets　and　vicesthose

things　all　pass　before　me。〃



This　was　a　picture　that　could　make　a　clergyman's　widow　not

imperceptibly　gasp；　it　was　in　intention　moreover　something　of　a

retort　to　the　thousand　tulips。　　〃Their　vices？　　Have　they　got

vices？〃



Our　young　critic　even　more　overtly　stared　then　with　a　touch　of

contempt　in　her　amusement：　　〃Haven't　you　found　THAT　out？〃　　The

homes　of　luxury　then　hadn't　so　much　to　give。　　〃I　find　out

everything。〃



Mrs。　Jordan；　at　bottom　a　very　meek　person；　was　visibly　struck。　　〃I

see。　　You　do　'have'　them。〃



〃Oh　I　don't　care！　　Much　good　it　does　me！〃



Mrs。　Jordan　after　an　instant　recovered　her　superiority。　　〃Noit

doesn't　lead　to　much。〃　　Her　own　initiations　so　clearly　did。　　Still…

…after　all；　and　she　was　not　jealous：　　〃There　must　be　a　charm。〃



〃In　seeing　them？〃　　At　this　the　girl　suddenly　let　herself　go。　　〃I

hate　them。　　There's　that　charm！〃



Mrs。　Jordan　gaped　a