Saturday was a good day for the Breezys and much of Friday night had
been spent cleaning and rearranging the cheap and alluring
silverware—birthday presents, wedding presents, lovers’ presents—which
invariably filled the windows. Twice Lola had looked down and watched
her young friend as he marched up and down beneath, with an ecstatic
smile on his face. It was after her second look that she made up her
mind to desert the crocuses in Hampton Court and make that boy escort
her to Dover Street. Acting under a sudden inspiration she determined to
go and see her aunt. She knew perfectly well that Miss Breezy had had
time to think over the point which had been suggested to her and was by
now probably quite ready to accept it. That was the woman’s character.
She began by saying no to everything and ended, of course, by saying yes
to most of them, and the more emphatic she was in the beginning the more
easily she caved in finally. After all, she was very fond of her niece
and would welcome the opportunity of having the girl’s company at night
and during the hours when Lady Feo was out. Lola knew all that and her
entrance into Dover Street had become an obsession, a fixed idea, and if
her aunt should develop a hitherto undemonstrated stiff back,—well then
her hand must be forced, that’s all, either by hook or by crook. Dressed
as simply as usual but wearing her Sunday hat, Lola passed through the
shop, dropped a kiss on her father’s head, twiddled her fingers at her
mother, who was “getting off” a perfectly hideous vase stuck into a
filigree silver support and must not, therefore, be interrupted in her
diplomatic flow of persuasion. She was met at the door by Ernest
Treadwell, who sheepishly removed his cap. He would have given ten years
of his life to have been able to doff it in the manner of Sir Walter
Raleigh and utter a string of highly polished phrases suitable to that
epoch-making occasion. Instead of which he said, “’Ello,” and dropped
his “h” at her feet.
Queen’s Road wore its usual Saturday afternoon appearance and its narrow
pavement was filled with people shopping for Sunday,—the tide of
semi-society clashing with that of mere respectability. “Hampton
Court’ll look great to-day,” said Ernest, who felt that with the
assistance of the crocuses he might be able to stammer a few words of
love and admiration.
Lola glanced up at the clear sky and the April sun which was in a very
kindly mood. “I’m sure it will,” she said, “but I’m afraid I’ve got a
disappointment for Ernie. I want you to be a dear and take me to see my
aunt in Dover Street. It’s—it’s awfully important.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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