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CHAPTER 20
Towards South Square, where Fleur was to be asked to give another reference, the girls left the Vicarage together.
“I’m afraid,” said Di
“I got meself talked about,” she said, at last.
“Yes, I happened to come into the Court the day you were acquitted. I thought it brutal to make you stand there.”
“I reely did speak to a man,” said the girl, surprisingly, “I wouldn’t tell Mr. Cherrell, but I did. I was just fed-up with wanting money. D’you think it was bad of me?”
“Well, personally, I should have to want more than money before I did it.”
“You never have wanted money—not reely.”
“I suppose you’re right, although I’ve never had much.”
“It’s better than stealin’,” said the girl, grimly: “after all, what is it? You can forget about it. At least, that’s what I thought. Nobody thinks the worse of a man or does anything to him for it. But you won’t tell Mrs. Mont what I’m telling you?’
“Of course not. Had things been going very badly?”
“Shockin’. Me and my sister make just enough when we’re in full work. But she was ill five weeks, and on the top of that I lost my purse one day, with thirty bob in it. That wasn’t my fault, anyway.”
“Wretched luck.”
“Rotten! If I’d been a reel one d’you think they’d have spotted me—it was just my being green. I bet girls in high life have no trouble that way when they’re hard up.”
“Well,” said Di
The girl turned another long and this time almost admiring look on her.
“You’re a lady, Miss. I must say I should like to be one meself, but what you’re born you stay.”
Di
“Reely?”
“Yes. And I think some of the girls in London shops are the equal of anyone.”
“Well, there is some awful nice girls, I must say. My sister is much better than me. She’d never ‘ave done a thing like that. Your uncle said something I shall remember, but I can’t never depend on meself. I’m one to like pleasure if I can get it; and why not?”
“The point is rather: What is pleasure? A casual man can’t possibly be pleasure. He’d be the very opposite.”
The girl nodded.
“That’s true enough. But when you’re bein’ chivied about for want of money you’re willin’ to put up with things you wouldn’t otherwise. You take my word for that.”
It was Di
“My uncle’s a nice man, don’t you think?”
“He’s a gentleman—never comes religion over you. And he’ll always put his hand in his pocket, if there’s anything there.”
“That’s not often, I should think,” said Di
“It isn’t money makes the gentleman.”
Di
The day was su
“Oh yes! I think it’s fine.”
“Didn’t you like the old street better?”
“No. It was so dull and yellow, and all the same.”
“But unlike any other street, and the regularity suited the curve.”
The girl seemed to perceive that a question of taste was concerned; she hesitated, then said assertively:
“It’s much brighter now, I think. Things seem to move more—not so formal-like.”
“Ah!”
“I do like the top of a ‘bus,” continued the girl; “you can see such a lot. Life does go on, don’t it?”
In the girl’s cockney-fied voice, those words hit Di
The girl again stole a sideway look.
“Why, you must have lots of fun, pretty like you are!”
“Pretty? My nose turns up.”
“Ah! but you’ve got style. Style’s everything. I always think you may have looks, but it’s style that gets you there.”
“I’d rather have looks.”
“Oh! no. Anyone can be a good-looker.”
“But not many are,” and with a glance at the girl’s profile Di
The girl bridled.
“I told Mr. Cherrell I’d like to be a ma
“I’m afraid I think that of all inane pursuits that’s the worst. Dressing up for a lot of disgruntled women!”
“Someone’s got to do it,” said the girl, defiantly; “I like wearing clothes meself. But you need interest to get a thing like that. Perhaps Mrs. Mont’ll speak for me. My! Wouldn’t you make a ma
Di
“We get off here. Ever been in Westminster Abbey?”
“No.”
“Perhaps you’d like a look before they pull it down and put up flats or a Cinema.”
“Are they reely goin’ to?”
“I fancy it’s only in the back of their minds so far. At present they talk about restoring it.”
“It’s a big place,” said the girl, but under the walls a silence fell on her, which remained unbroken when they passed within. Di
“Who’s the old beaver with no clothes on?”
“Neptune. He’s a symbol. Brita
“Oh!” And they moved on till the full proportions of the old Museum were better disclosed.
“My! Isn’t it full of things?”
“It IS rather an Old Curiosity Shop. They’ve got all English history here, you know.”
“It’s awful dark. The pillars look dirty, don’t they?”
“Shall we just have a look at the Poets’ Corner?” said Di
“What’s that?”
“Where they bury great writers.”
“Because they wrote rhymes?” said the girl. “Isn’t that fu
Di
“I wonder whether ‘e knows,” said the girl, “but I shouldn’t think ‘e cares, anyway; nobody knows ‘is name, so ‘e gets nothin’ out of it.”
“No. It’s we who get something out of it,” said Di
Out in the street again the girl asked suddenly:
“Are you religious, Miss?”
“In a sort of way, I think,” said Di
“I never was taught any—Dad and Mother liked Mr. Cherrell, but they thought it was a mistake; my Dad was a Socialist, you see, and he used to say religion was part of the capitalist system. Of course we don’t go to Church, in our class. We haven’t time, for one thing. You’ve got to keep so still in Church, too. I must say I like more movement. And then, if there’s a God, why is he called He? It puts me against Him, I know. Callin’ God He gets girls treated as they are, I think. Since my case I’ve thought about that a good deal after what the Court missionary said. A he can’t get on with creation without a she, anyway.”
Di
“You should have said that to my uncle. It’s quite a thought.”