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

hate　them。　　There's　that　charm！〃



Mrs。　Jordan　gaped　again。　　〃The　REAL　'smarts'？〃



〃Is　that　what　you　call　Mrs。　Bubb？　　Yesit　comes　to　me；　I've　had

Mrs。　Bubb。　　I　don't　think　she　has　been　in　herself；　but　there　are

things　her　maid　has　brought。　　Well；　my　dear！〃and　the　young　person

from　Cocker's；　recalling　these　things　and　summing　them　up；　seemed

suddenly　to　have　much　to　say。　　She　didn't　say　it；　however；　she

checked　it；　she　only　brought　out：　　〃Her　maid；　who's　horridSHE

must　have　her！〃　　Then　she　went　on　with　indifference：　　〃They're　TOO

real！　　They're　selfish　brutes。〃



Mrs。　Jordan；　turning　it　over；　adopted　at　last　the　plan　of　treating

it　with　a　smile。　　She　wished　to　be　liberal。　　〃Well；　of　course；　they

do　lay　it　out。〃



〃They　bore　me　to　death；〃　her　companion　pursued　with　slightly　more

temperance。



But　this　was　going　too　far。　　〃Ah　that's　because　you've　no

sympathy！〃



The　girl　gave　an　ironic　laugh；　only　retorting　that　nobody　could

have　any　who　had　to　count　all　day　all　the　words　in　the　dictionary；

a　contention　Mrs。　Jordan　quite　granted；　the　more　that　she　shuddered

at　the　notion　of　ever　failing　of　the　very　gift　to　which　she　owed

the　voguethe　rage　she　might　call　itthat　had　caught　her　up。

Without　sympathyor　without　imagination；　for　it　came　back　again　to

thathow　should　she　get；　for　big　dinners；　down　the　middle　and

toward　the　far　corners　at　all？　　It　wasn't　the　combinations；　which

were　easily　managed：　　the　strain　was　over　the　ineffable

simplicities；　those　that　the　bachelors　above　all；　and　Lord　Rye

perhaps　most　of　any；　threw　offjust　blew　off　like　cigarette…puffs…

…such　sketches　of。　　The　betrothed　of　Mr。　Mudge　at　all　events

accepted　the　explanation；　which　had　the　effect；　as　almost　any　turn

of　their　talk　was　now　apt　to　have；　of　bringing　her　round　to　the

terrific　question　of　that　gentleman。　　She　was　tormented　with　the

desire　to　get　out　of　Mrs。　Jordan；　on　this　subject；　what　she　was

sure　was　at　the　back　of　Mrs。　Jordan's　head；　and　to　get　it　out　of

her；　queerly　enough；　if　only　to　vent　a　certain　irritation　at　it。

She　knew　that　what　her　friend　would　already　have　risked　if　she

hadn't　been　timid　and　tortuous　was：　　〃Give　him　upyes；　give　him

up：　　you'll　see　that　with　your　sure　chances　you'll　be　able　to　do

much　better。〃



Our　young　woman　had　a　sense　that　if　that　view　could　only　be　put

before　her　with　a　particular　sniff　for　poor　Mr。　Mudge　she　should

hate　it　as　much　as　she　morally　ought。　　She　was　conscious　of　not；　as

yet；　hating　it　quite　so　much　as　that。　　But　she　saw　that　Mrs。　Jordan

was　conscious　of　something　too；　and　that　there　was　a　degree　of

confidence　she　was　waiting　little　by　little　to　arrive　at。　　The　day

came　when　the　girl　caught　a　glimpse　of　what　was　still　wanting　to

make　her　friend　feel　strong；　which　was　nothing　less　than　the

prospect　of　being　able　to　announce　the　climax　of　sundry　private

dreams。　　The　associate　of　the　aristocracy　had　personal

calculationsmatter　for　brooding　and　dreaming；　even　for　peeping

out　not　quite　hopelessly　from　behind　the　window…curtains　of　lonely

lodgings。　　If　she　did　the　flowers　for　the　bachelors；　in　short；

didn't　she　expect　that　to　have　consequences　very　different　from

such　an　outlook　at　Cocker's　as　she　had　pronounced　wholly　desperate？

There　seemed　in　very　truth　something　auspicious　in　the　mixture　of

bachelors　and　flowers；　though；　when　looked　hard　in　the　eye；　Mrs。

Jordan　was　not　quite　prepared　to　say　she　had　expected　a　positive

proposal　from　Lord　Rye　to　pop　out　of　it。　　Our　young　woman　arrived

at　last；　none　the　less；　at　a　definite　vision　of　what　was　in　her

mind。　　This　was　a　vivid　foreknowledge　that　the　betrothed　of　Mr。

Mudge　would；　unless　conciliated　in　advance　by　a　successful　rescue；

almost　hate　her　on　the　day　she　should　break　a　particular　piece　of

news。　　How　could　that　unfortunate　otherwise　endure　to　hear　of　what；

under　the　protection　of　Lady　Ventnor；　was　after　all　so　possible







CHAPTER　IX







Meanwhile；　since　irritation　sometimes　relieved　her；　the　betrothed

of　Mr。　Mudge　found　herself　indebted　to　that　admirer　for　amounts　of

it　perfectly　proportioned　to　her　fidelity。　　She　always　walked　with

him　on　Sundays；　usually　in　the　Regent's　Park；　and　quite　often；　once

or　twice　a　month　he　took　her；　in　the　Strand　or　thereabouts；　to　see

a　piece　that　was　having　a　run。　　The　productions　he　always　preferred

were　the　really　good　onesShakespeare；　Thompson　or　some　funny

American　thing；　which；　as　it　also　happened　that　she　hated　vulgar

plays；　gave　him　ground　for　what　was　almost　the　fondest　of　his

approaches；　the　theory　that　their　tastes　were；　blissfully；　just　the

same。　　He　was　for　ever　reminding　her　of　that；　rejoicing　over　it　and

being　affectionate　and　wise　about　it。　　There　were　times　when　she

wondered　how　in　the　world　she　could　〃put　up　with〃　him；　how　she

could　put　up　with　any　man　so　smugly　unconscious　of　the　immensity　of

her　difference。　　It　was　just　for　this　difference　that；　if　she　was

to　be　liked　at　all；　she　wanted　to　be　liked；　and　if　that　was　not　the

source　of　Mr。　Mudge's　admiration；　she　asked　herself　what　on　earth

COULD　be？　　She　was　not　different　only　at　one　point；　she　was

different　all　round；　unless　perhaps　indeed　in　being　practically

human；　which　her　mind　just　barely　recognised　that　he　also　was。　　She

would　have　made　tremendous　concessions　in　other　quarters：　　there

was　no　limit　for　instance　to　those　she　would　have　made　to　Captain

Everard；　but　what　I　have　named　was　the　most　she　was　prepared　to　do

for　Mr。　Mudge。　　It　was　because　HE　was　different　that；　in　the　oddest

way；　she　liked　as　well　as　deplored　him；　which　was　after　all　a　proof

that　the　disparity；　should　they　frankly　recognise　it；　wouldn't

necessarily　be　fatal。　　She　felt　that；　oleaginoustoo　oleaginous

as　he　was；　he　was　somehow　comparatively　primitive：　　she　had　once；

during　the　portion　of　his　time　at　Cocker's　that　had　overlapped　her

own；　seen　him　collar　a　drunken　soldier；　a　big　violent　man　who；

having　come　in　with　a　mate　to　get　a　postal…order　cashed；　had　made　a

grab　at　the　money　before　his　friend　could　reach　it　and　had　so

determined；　among　the　hams　and　cheeses　and　the　lodgers　from

Thrupp's；　immediate　and　alarming　reprisals；　a　scene　of　scandal　and

consternation。　　Mr。　Buckton　and　the　counter…clerk　had　crouched

within　the　cage；　but　Mr。　Mudge　had；　with　a　very　quiet　but　very

quick　step　round　the　counter；　an　air　of　masterful　authority　she

shouldn't　soon　forget；　triumphantly　interposed　in　the　scrimmage；

parted　the　combatants　and　shaken　the　delinquent　in　his　skin。　　She

had　been　proud　of　him　at　that　moment；　and　had　felt　that　if　their

affair　had　not　already　been　settled　the　neatness　of　his　execution

would　have　left　her　without　resistance。



Their　affair　had　been　settled　by　other　things：　　by　the　evident

sincerity　of　his　passion　and　by　the　sense　that　his　high　white　apron

resembled　a　front　of　many　floors。　　It　had　gone　a　great　way　with　her

that　he　would　build　up　a　business　to　his　chin；　which　he　carried

quite　in　the　air。　　This　could　only　be　a　question　of　time；　he　would

have　all　Piccadilly　in　the　pen　behind　his　ear。　　That　was　a　merit　in

itself　for　a　girl　who　had　known　what　she　had　known。　　There　were

hours　at　which　she　even　found　him　good…looking；　though；　frankly

there　could　be　no　crown　for　her　effort　to　imagine　on　the　part　of

the　tailor　or　the　barber　some　such　treatment　of　his　appearance　as

would　make　him　resemble　even　remotely　a　man　of　the　world。　　His　very

beauty　was　the　beauty　of　a　grocer；　and　the　finest　future　would

offer　it　none　too　much　room　consistently　to　develop。　　She　had

engaged　herself　in　short　to　the　perfection　of　a　type；　and　almost

anything　square　and　smooth　and　whole　had　its　weight　for　a　person

still　conscious　herself　of　being　a　mere　bruised　fragment　of

wreckage。　　But　it　contributed　hugely　at　present　to　carry　on　the　two

parallel　lines　of　her　experience　in　the　cage　and　her　experience　out

of　it。　　After　keeping　quiet　for　some　time　about　this　opposition　she

suddenlyone　Sunday　afternoon　on　a　penny　chair　in　the　Regent's

Parkbroke；　for　him；　capriciously；　bewilderingly；　into　an

intimation　of　what　it　came　to。　　He　had　naturally　pressed　more　and

more　on　the　point　of　her　again　placing　herself　where　he　could　see

her　hourly；　and　for　her　to　recognise　that　she　had　as　yet　given　him

no　sane　reason　for　delay　he　had　small　need　to　describe　himself　as

unable　to　make　out　what　she　was　up　to。　　As　if；　with　her　absurd　bad

reasons；　she　could　have　begun　to　tell　him！　　Sometimes　she　thought

it　would　be　amusing　to　let　him　have　them　full　in　the　face；　for　she

felt　she　should　die　of　him　unless　she　once　in　a　while　stupefied

him；　and　sometimes　she　thought　it　would　be　disgusting　and　perhaps

even　fatal。　　She　liked　him；　however；　to　think　her　silly；　for　that

gave　her　the　margin　which　at　the　best　she　would　always　require；　and

the　only　difficulty　about　this　was　that　he　hadn't　enough

imagination　to　oblige　her。　　It　produced　none　the　less　something　of

the　desired　effectto　leave　him　simply　wondering　why；　over　the

matter　of　their　reunion；　she　didn't　yield　to　his　arguments。　　Then

at　last；　simply　as　if　by　accident　and　out　of　mere　boredom　on　a　day

that　was　rather　flat；　she　preposterously　produced　her　own。　　〃Well；

wait　a　bit。　　Where　I　am　I　still　see　things。〃　　And　she　talked　to　him

even　worse；　if　possible；　than　she　had　talked　to　Jordan。



Little　by　little；　to　her　own　stupefaction；　she　caught　that　he　was

trying　to　take　it　as　she　meant　it　and　that　he　was　neither

astonished　nor　angry。　　Oh　the　British　tradesmanthis　gave　her　an

idea　of　his　resources！　　Mr。　Mudge　would　be　angry　only　with　a　person

who；　like　the　drunken　soldier　in　the　shop；　should　have　an

unfavourable　effect　on　business。　　He　seemed　positively　to　enter；

for　the　time　and　without　the　faintest　flash　of　irony　or　ripple　of

laughter；　into　the　whimsical　grounds　of　her　enjoyment　of　Cocker's

custom；　and　instantly　to　be　casting　up　whatever　it　might；