Coquette

straightened his back. And he dressed like aprince. At that instant she was proud to be walking by his side. Shethought: "I must look a shrimp beside him! Him so big--so tall, and meso little. But I'm as smart as he is, any day in the week. Wish healways held himself up like that! What salmony lips he's got, and ...it's his long lashes that make his eyes look so soft. Chocolate eyes....Funny! He's got a weak chin. No, his _chin's_ all right. It's ... youcan't see his jaw at all: goes right in, and gets lost. And a funnynose--got no shape to it. Just a nose." She had the curiosity to wonderwhat his grey cheek felt like. She would like, one day, to touch it withher finger, just to see. It looked dry and soft. All this she glimpsedand considered like lightning while they walked quickly towardsPiccadilly Circus; and her notions gathered and grew in Gaga's silence.

  "Were you working?" Sally presently asked, trying to say something tobegin a conversation.

  Gaga shook his head, stealing a shy glance down at her.

  "No. Not working," he said. "I had rather a headache, so I went for awalk in the Park."

  "Oo. Sorry you've got a headache." Sally unconsciously becamesympathetic. "Is it very bad? It's nerves, I expect. If you're nervousyou have splitting headaches. My mother's _always_ talking about herhead. She gets so tired, you know; and it goes to her head; and she sitsstill and can't think about anything else. Is ... is Madam quite wellnow? She was looking so ill...."

  Gaga became mournful. The mention of his mother always, it seemed toSally, made him miserable. Silly Gaga! He then did something which hadan imperceptible effect upon Sally's thought of him. It was a mistake,because it illustrated his lack of initiative and his powerlessness tostrike out a fresh path. He made straight for the Rezzonico again. Heought to have taken Sally to another restaurant; but he instinctivelytook her to the place where they had dined happily before. In that hebetrayed to her merciless judgment the fact of his inexperience.Silently, they entered the big dining-room. The band was not playing atthe moment, and, as they were early, the room was less full than it hadbeen upon the first occasion. The enormous mirrors reflected theirhesitating movements. Gaga made his way vaguely towards their formertable; but Sally laid a hand upon his arm. It was time for her to takecommand. Into her expression there crept the faintest hardness, almost atough assurance, that was tinged with the contempt which was her deepestfeeling for Gaga.

  "Couldn't we get a table against the wall ... down there?" she demanded,pointing.

  It was done. They were installed, and a young and rapid waiter wasattending to them. This time Sally helped to choose the dinner. Shecould not read the menu, because she knew no French; but the waiter,with an uncanny insight, realised that he would do well to address herand to explain the dishes to Sally instead of to Gaga; and so, to therelief of all three, they were quickly served, and wine was brought, andSally began to feel creeping upon her all the old pleasure andexcitement of noise and wine and an intriguing situation. Her hardnessvanished. She sat almost with complacency, breaking her roll with twosmall hands, and looking at Gaga with that thin little grin which causedher meagre face to be so impish and attractive. The brilliant lightswhich made Sally more and more piquante had a ghastly effect upon Gaga.His grey cheeks were cruelly betrayed.

  "I'm afraid mother's ... mother's not what she ought.... I'm afraidmother's ill," began Gaga, stammering. Then, impulsively: "I say.... I'mso glad you came to-night. I.... I've been--you know, my head-- I'vebeen miserable, and.... I've been bad-tempered all day. But I'm betternow. Couldn't help ... feeling better, seeing you there...."

  Sally grinned again. If her cheeks had been plumper he could have seentwo dimples; but all that was observable was the row of tiny pointedteeth that made her smile so mischievous. Sally's eyes looked green inthe electric light--green and dark and dangerous, like deep sea; and herpallor was enhanced, so that she was almost beautiful. There wassomething both naive and cat-like in her manner, and the tilt of herhead. She surveyed Gaga with eyes that were instinctively half-closed.She could delightedly perceive the effect she was having upon him. Hesometimes could not look at her at all, but fixed his attention uponhis plate while she was speaking, or no higher than her neck when he washimself--as he rarely did--making an attempt to entertain. And allGaga's hesitations and shynesses made Sally amused and sure of herself,and she began to take pleasure in dominating him. When she found thatGaga not only did not resent this, but was pleased and thrilled by herdomination, Sally grew triumphant. She chose the sweet for them both,sweeping her eye down the prices and listening to the waiter'stranslation of each title. She sipped her wine with a royal air ofconnoisseurship. And she kept such control of the situation that Gagawas afraid to give words to the timid ardour which shone from hisexpressive glance. Sally was herself: it was still she who conferredevery favour, and not Gaga.

  Presently she had a thought that whipped across her mind like a sting.

  "D'you know what I've been doing since we came here before?" shedemanded. "I've been taking lessons in book-keeping. I'm getting onfine. The teacher says I've got a proper head for figures. He says Ishall be a cashier in no time, and understand all that you can knowabout accounts. Isn't that good? So I shall be able to help you--likeyou said...."

  Gaga gave an admiring gesture. He was overwhelmed.

  "Oh, but you're ... marvellous!" he cried. "Simply marvellous! Here'sMiss Summers says you're the best hand, for your age, that she'sgot...."

  "Did she say that?" Sally jumped for joy. "Really?" She gave atriumphant laugh, so naive and full of ingenuous conceitedness that Gagawas overcome afresh with admiration.

  "You ought to have been two people," he answered. "Two little girls."

  "Half a dozen!" Sally proclaimed. "You see, I'm--it sounds conceited,and I expect I am; but it's true-- I'm clever. I'm not soppy. Othergirls-- Rose Anstey.... They're soppy. They can't do anything. I can doall sorts of things because I'm clever-- I can sew, and ... you know,all sorts of things."

  Gaga glowed at her words.

  "I know," he eagerly agreed. "That's why you're so wonderful. Most girlscan only do one thing. They can't even do that very well."

  "That's true. Takes them a week to do it; and then somebody has to do itover again for them. They haven't got any brains. They got no _sense_.They don't _think_." Sally was impetuous.

  "They've got no brains at all," said Gaga. "They're like vegetables."Both laughed, in great spirits and familiarity. "Well, Sally.... Mymother's.... She's a wonderful woman, too. She's been marvellous.Marvellous! She must have been like you...."

  Sally shrugged.

  "Bigger than me," she murmured, brooding upon an unwelcome comparison.

  "No. Not bigger. She's nearly three times as old as you. My father died,you see.... I was a child. She had to make a living. _Had_ to."

  "So have I got to," whispered Sally. "I got no father; and mother's inher second childhood."

  Gaga stopped. He looked at her. A singular expression crossed his face.

  "Now, you have to," he said. "Er, I mean.... Well, ... you won'talways."

  "Mean, I'll marry?" demanded Sally, sharply. "Give it all up to cook thedinner and wash the front step?" She shrugged again.

  Gaga reddened slightly.

  "I.... I didn't think you'd do that," he said, hesitatingly. "I onlymeant.... What I wanted to say ... mother's not well. She's ill. She'sreally ill. She'll have to take a holiday. I wonder...." His hesitationwas more prolonged than usual. He became as it were lost in a kind ofdoubtful reverie. Sally could not tell whether he was thinking orwhether the wheels of his mind had altogether ceased to revolve. Hismouth gaped a little. At last he concluded: "I wonder if I could ... ifI could borrow you from Miss Summers. If she'd mind. If she'd let yougo."

  There was a silence, while both thought of this possibility.

  "Look here," cried Sally, confidently. "Like this evening, Miss Summersleft me there--all alone. I mean to say, she didn't _mind_. She wouldn'tleave any of the other girls like that; but she left me. She knew it wasall right. Well
, I wouldn't mind stopping in the evenings and helpingyou. I'd like to. I'm quick. I could get through a lot of work."

  "Oh, but it wouldn't be fair," he objected.

  "Why not? I'd love it. See, I'd get overtime."

  Sally was really prompting Gaga in this last sentence. He frowned, andmoved one of his long hands impatiently across some crumbs which laybefore him on