"The theatre. It would be showier if I took a lady."
Mrs. Dowey feels a thumping at her breast.
"Kenneth, tell me this instant what you mean. Don"t keep me on the jumps."
He turns her round.
"No, It couldn"t be done."
"Was it me you were thinking of?"
"Just for the moment," regretfully, "but you have no style."
She catches hold of him by the sleeve.
"Not in this, of course. But, oh, Kenneth, if you saw me in my merino!
It"s laced up the back in the very latest."
"Hum," doubtfully; "but let"s see it."
It is produced from a drawer, to which the old lady runs with almost indecent haste. The connoisseur examines it critically.
"Looks none so bad. Have you a bit of chiffon for the neck? It"s not bombs nor Kaisers nor Tipperary that men in the trenches think of, it"s chiffon."
"I swear I have, Kenneth, And I have a bangle, and a m.u.f.f, and gloves."
"Ay, ay." He considers. "Do you think you could give your face less of a homely look?"
"I"m sure I could."
"Then you can have a try. But, mind you, I promise nothing. All will depend on the effect."
He goes into the pantry, and the old lady is left alone. Not alone, for she is ringed round by entrancing hopes and dreadful fears. They beam on her and jeer at her, they pull her this way and that; with difficulty she breaks through them and rushes to her pail, hot water, soap, and a looking-gla.s.s. Our last glimpse of her for this evening shows her staring (not discontentedly) at her soft old face, licking her palm, and pressing it to her hair. Her eyes are sparkling.
One evening a few days later Mrs. Twymley and Mrs. Mickleham are in Mrs.
Dowey"s house, awaiting that lady"s return from some fashionable dissipation. They have undoubtedly been discussing the war, for the first words we catch are:
MRS. MICKLEHAM. "I tell you flat, Amelia, I bows no knee to junkerdom."
MRS. TWYMLEY. "Sitting here by the fire, you and me, as one to another, what do you think will happen after the war? Are we to go back to being as we were?"
MRS. MICKLEHAM. "Speaking for myself, Amelia, not me. The war has wakened me up to a understanding of my own importance that is really astonishing."
MRS. TWYMLEY. "Same here. Instead of being the poor worms the like of you and me thought we was, we turns out to be visible departments of a great and haughty empire."
They are well under weigh, and with a little luck we might now hear their views on various pa.s.sing problems of the day, such as the neglect of science in our public schools. But in comes the Haggerty Woman, and spoils everything. She is attired, like them, in her best, but the effect of her is that her clothes have gone out for a walk, leaving her at home.
MRS. MICKLEHAM, with deep distaste, "Here"s that submarine again."
The Haggerty Woman cringes to them, but gets no encouragement.
THE HAGGERTY WOMAN. "It"s a terrible war."
MRS. TWYMLEY. "Is that so?"
THE HAGGERTY WOMAN. "I wonder what will happen when it ends?"
MRS. MICKLEHAM. "I have no idea."
The intruder produces her handkerchief, but does not use it. After all, she is in her best.
THE HAGGERTY WOMAN. "Are they not back yet?"
Perfect ladies must reply to a direct question.
MRS. MICKLEHAM. "No," icily. "We have been waiting this half hour. They are at the theatre again."
THE HAGGERTY WOMAN. "You tell me! I just popped in with an insignificant present for him, as his leave is up."
MRS. TWYMLEY. "The same errand brought us."
THE HAGGERTY WOMAN. "My present is cigarettes."
They have no intention of telling her what their presents are, but the secret leaps from them.
MRS. MICKLEHAM. "So is mine."
MRS. TWYMLEY. "Mine too."
Triumph of the Haggerty Woman. But it is short-lived.
MRS. MICKLEHAM. "Mine has gold tips."
MRS. TWYMLEY. "So has mine."
The Haggerty Woman need not say a word. You have only to look at her to know that her cigarettes are not gold-tipped. She tries to brazen it out, which is so often a mistake.
THE HAGGERTY WOMAN. "What care I? Mine is Exquisytos."
No wonder they t.i.tter.
MRS. MICKLEHAM. "Excuse us, Mrs. Haggerty (if that"s your name), but the word is Exquiseetos."
THE HAGGERTY WOMAN. "Much obliged" (weeps).
MRS. MICKLEHAM. "I think I heard a taxi."