Bildungsromans; Man-woman relationships -- Fiction; Scotland -- Social life and customs -- Fiction
"All right. I'm living along with Ireen Dale now."
"I know. Whatever made you do that?"
"Why shouldn't I?"
"I shouldn't call them your style," said Lilli positively.
"Ireen's nice."
"Yes, she's all right. But Winnie Dale's dreadful. And look at her
mother. She's like an old charwoman. And that youngest sister."
"Oh, them, I never see _them_."
"You've heard about me, I suppose?"
"No, what?" asked Jenny, politely inquisitive.
"I've turned suffragette."
"You never haven't? Oh, Lil, what a dreadful thing!"
"It's not. It's great. I used to think so myself, but I've changed my
mind."
"Oh, Lilli, I think it's terrible. A suffragette? But what an unnatural
lot of women you must go around with."
"They're not," said Lilli, loud in defense of her associates.
"A lot of Plain Janes and No Nonsense with their hair all screwed back.
I know. And all walking on one another's petticoats. Suffragette
Sallies! What are they for? Tell me that."
"Hasn't it never struck you there's a whole heap of girls in this world
that's got nothing to do?"
Lilli spoke sadly. There was a life's disillusionment in the question.
"Yes; but that doesn't say they should go making sights of themselves,
shouting and hollering. Get out! Besides, what's the Salvation Army
done?"
"You don't understand."
"No, and I don't want to understand."
"Why don't you come round to our club? I'll introduce you to Miss
Bailey."
"Who's she?"
"She's the president."
Jenny considered the offer a moment. Soon she decided that, dreary as
the world was, it would not be brightened by an introduction to Miss
Bailey. In the dressing-room that night, during the wait between the two
ballets, Elsie Crauford, who had long been waiting for an opportunity to
avenge Jenny's slighting references to Willie's evening dress, thought
she would risk an encounter.
"I didn't know your Maurice had gone quite sudden," she said. "Aren't
you going to do anything about it?"
"You've blacked your nose, Elsie Crauford."
"Have I? Where?" Elsie had seized a hand-glass.
"Yes, you have, poking it into other people's business. You curious
thing! What am I going to do about it? Punch into you, if you're not
sharp."
"He seemed so fond of you, too."
"You never saw him but once, when you blew in with the draught in that
flash hat of yours."
"No, but Madge Wilson told me you was absolutely mad about one another.
It seems so funny he should leave you. But Madge said it wouldn't last.
She said you weren't getting a jolly fine time for nothing. Funny thing,
you always knew such a lot before you got struck on a fellow yourself.
What you weren't going to do! You aren't so much cleverer than us after
all."
"_Who_ told you?" demanded Jenny.
"Madge Wilson did."
"Don't take any notice of _her,"_ Maudie Chapman advised at this point.
"You jest shut up, Elsie Crauford. Always making mischief."
"I'm tired of Jenny Pearl's always knowing better than anyone without
being told off."
"Told off! Who by? _You_?" gasped Jenny.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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