was half-past six at night when she came down from the work-rooms and out into the street. She was an intensely anæmic girl, neatly dressed, thin, tired. Given better health, she would not have been unattractive; given a better way of life, she would have had better health.
A gentleman of forty-five crossed the street towards her, raised his hat, and said, "You're late to-night."
She took absolutely no notice, and slightly quickened in her pace.
"Please do not hurry," he said. "I have so much to say to you." Then she turned round on him and was very furious. If he bothered her any more she would hand him over to the police.
"Pray don't misunderstand me," said the gentleman plaintively; "I would not insult you or treat you with anything but the greatest respect on any account."
"Then what on earth doyou want?" she said rather irritably.
"I will put it as briefly as I can. I happen to be very wealthy. I can enjoy nothing—the day for that has gone past for me. I wish for one night to see somebody else enjoy something. It had to be somebody who did not usually spend money freely; somebody who worked hard; somebody who had refinement and education. I thought, and I still think, that I have found all these things in you. Will you come with me? Dinner, a theatre or a music-hall, a little supper at the Carlton, and then my brougham shall drive you home. You will be rendering me the greatest possible service."
She was a girl that was quite used to taking care of herself. If she had not much confidence in him, she had great confidence in herself. She could, at any rate, test it, and abandon the experiment when it pleased her.
"But," she said, "I have no proper dress for that kind of thing."
"You know what the proper dress would be?"
"Of course I do. It's my business."
"Very well, then, the rest is simple. You will go immediately and get all that you require in that way—dress, gloves, everything. Do not think about money, merely exercise the excellent taste which you show in your present costume. If the dress gives you the least pleasure, I know that it will give me much more. I shall be your debtor."
"It is like a fairy tale," she said.
"My brougham is here, and at your service."
The electric brougham slid noiselessly up to them. They got in. In the brougham she watched him nervously, sideways. Yes, he was forty-five. His dark hair was grey on the temples; there was a melancholy cruelty in his thin-lipped mouth; but the greenish eyes, strong and searching, were not the eyes of one who had out-lived himself.'
"I can't understand," she said. "What do you mean? You can't enjoy anything?"
"Almost that. I am, unfortunately, one who must have novelty. There are many women to whom I have given pretty toys and suppers at the Carlton. That—well, that was another affair. This is quite different. To-night I give for no other motive than to bring enjoyment to you. You see? I shall enjoy it second-hand. Tell me all about the dress."
She laughed. "Oh! you wouldn't understand if I did. I am going to Lambert's. One of the ladies there is a great friend of mine. Lucky that I am stock size, isn't it?"
"Very," said the man with enthusiasm. He had not the faintest notion what stock size meant.
When the brougham stopped at Lambert's she seemed a little troubled. "Half an hour is the least time I can possibly be," she said.
"You won't like waiting."
"Like it? It will be a luxury to me. Nobody has dared to make me wait for twenty years. You shall do it. Your foot is on my neck. Seriously, I have one or two little things to do myself. In the meantime"—he handed her a roll of notes—"get everything you want and pay for it."
She was fully three-quarters of an hour away, but she was a very transfigured maiden when the commissionaire opened the door of the brougham for her. Excitement, or a touch of rouge, had put a little colour into her pale face. Her dark hair was beautiful, and becomingly dressed. For the rest all was perfect from that shapely head down to the white satin shoes.
"Will this do?" she said eagerly.
"It is superb. You are transformed."
"That's quite true," she said. " I don't seem to myself to be the
same kind of person. I don't think the same way. Oh! please, it didn't
take nearly all that money. Look, I have got it here somewhere." She
fumbled under her cloak.
"Oh! please don't bother," said her companion. " You may want it later for something or other. See what I have been doing to fill in time."
He took from its box an old ivory fan exquisitely painted, and handed it to her.