Part 45 (1/2)

”That's my style--a merry touch-and-go,” said the lady. And then glancing at Glory, ”Singing to-night, my dear?”

Glory shook her head.

”Thort you might be a pro' p'rhaps. Use ter be myself when I was in the bally at the Lane. Married now, my dear; but I likes to come of a Sunday night when the kids is got to bed.”

Then Aggie danced a skirt dance, and there were shouts of applause for her, and she came back and danced again. When she reappeared in jacket and hat, and with her stage-box in her hand, the girls crushed their way out. Going through the bar they were invited to drink by several of the men who were standing there, but they got into the streets at last.

”They're rather messy, those bars,” said Aggie; ”but managers like you to come round and tyke something after you've done your turn--if it's only a cup of cawfy.”

”Do you like this life?” said Glory, taking a long breath.

”Yes, awfully!” said Aggie.

Their next visit was to a Swiss club, which did not greatly differ from the Italian one, except that the hall was more shabby, and that the audience consisted of French and Swiss waiters and skittish young English milliners. The girls had taken their hats and cloaks off and sat dressed like dolls in white muslin with long streamers of bright ribbon.

A gentleman sang the ”Postman's Knock,” with the character accompaniment of a pot hat and a black-edged envelope, a lady sang ”Maud” in silk tights and a cloak, Aggie danced her skirt dance, and then the floor was cleared for a ball.

”They're going to dance the Swiss dance,” said Aggie, ”and the M. C.

wants me to tyke a place; but I hate these fellows to be hugging me.

Will you be my partner, dear?”

”Well--just for a minute or two,” said Glory, with nervous gaiety. And then the dance began.

It proved to be a musical version of odd man out, and Glory soon found herself being snapped up by other partners and addressed familiarly by the waiters and their women. She could feel the moisture of their hands and smell the oil of their hair, and a feeling like a spasm of physical pain came over her.

”Let us go,” she whispered.

”Yes, it's getting lyte,” said Aggie, and they crushed through the crowded bar and out into the street.

The tw.a.n.ging of the fiddles, the thud of the dancing, and the peals of coa.r.s.e laughter followed them from the stifling atmosphere within, and Glory felt sick and faint.

”Do you say that managers of good places call at these clubs sometimes?”

”Often,” said Aggie, and she hummed a music-hall tune as she skipped and tripped along.

The streets, which had been dark and quiet when they arrived in Soho, were now ablaze with lights in every window, and noisy with people on every pavement. The last club they had to visit was a German one, and as they came near it they saw that a man was standing at the door bareheaded and looking out for somebody.

”It's Charlie,” said Aggie with a little jump of joy. But when they came up to him a scowl darkened his dark face, and he said:

”Lyte as usyal! Two of the bloomin' turns not come, and me looking up and dahn the bloomin' street for you every minute and more!”

The girl's eyes blinked as if he had struck her, but she only tossed her head and stiffened her under lip, and said: ”Jawing again, are ye? I'd chuck it for once, Charlie, if it was only for sake of company.”

With that she disappeared to the dressing-room, and Charlie took charge of Glory, crushed a way for her through the refreshment room, offered her a ”glaws of somethink,” and with an obvious pride of possession introduced her to admiring acquaintances as ”a friend o' mine.” ”Like yer style, Charlie,” said one of them. ”Oh, yus! Dare say!” said Charlie.

The proscenium was surmounted by the German and English flags intertwined, the walls were adorned with oleograph portraits of the Kaiser, his father and grandfather, Bismarck and Von Moltke, and the audience consisted largely of lively young German Jews and Jewesses in evening dress, some Polish Jews, and a sprinkling of other foreigners.

During Aggie's turn Glory was conscious that two strangers out of another world altogether had entered the club and were standing at the back.

”Toffs,” said Charlie, looking at them over her shoulder, and then, answering to himself the meaning of their looks, ”No, my luds! 'Tain't the first we've seen of sech!”