Coquette Read online

way.

  "Hello, Sally. Keepin' well? Look fine."

  "I've come to see Mrs. Perce-- Mrs. Barrow, you know."

  Mr. Clancy jerked his head, receptive of the news, and as Sally passedhim continued to smoke and to regard the traffic. He must have beenbitterly cold, she thought; but she knew he must be standing outsideeither because Mrs. Clancy was out or because she was in. The stairswere just as steep as of old, and as dark. Sally had absolutely nomemory of her father's fall. She was merely curious about the new peoplein the flat. But she did not see them, for all the doors were closed,and she kicked her feet against the stairs, stumbling a little in thedarkness.

  At her further progress a door flew open above, and Mrs. Perce lookedout.

  "Sally! Well I never!" she ejaculated. "Perce! Here's Sally come to seeyou!" Perce's reply did not reach Sally, but there was an exchanged kisswith Mrs. Perce, and then her coat and hat were off and she wasconscious of overpowering warmth and kippers and a general sizzle ofcomfort and plenty. "Had your tea?" demanded Mrs. Perce. "Have another.Come on. Plenty of kippers. Perce! Sally's eating your kippers!"

  Perce appeared, rubbing the back of his neck with a towel--a large fairred-faced man with a broad grin. He put his hand on Sally's shoulder,and shook her. Then he went out of the room again, and Sally beganalmost immediately upon the feast. It was such a jolly, cosy, closeroom, so bright and gaudy in its decoration, that it was Sally's idea ofwhat a kitchen should be. The walls were a varnished brown, so that theyshone in the lamplight. Polished candlesticks stood by a shiny clock onthe mantelpiece. There were bright pictures and a brilliant lamp and aglittering tablecloth covered with polished dishes and silver. She had agreat admiration for old Perce and Mrs. Perce. They both loved comfortand food and drink, and both had hearty laughs that showed all theirteeth. Both had shrewd, glistening, money-engrossed eyes; both werelarge and stout and cheerful and noisy. To anybody as young as Sallynoise goes a long way towards cheeriness, because it deadens thought. Sowhen old Perce came and took his place at the table she suddenly threwoff her despair with the volatility of childhood, and laughed aloud andate and drank, and made sly remarks, until she became an altogetherdifferent Sally from the one who had taken an earlier tea with hermother. She was now in high spirits. All sorts of funny things came intoher head--things she had seen and thought since their last meeting; andwhen she repeated them the Barrows laughed in great roars that filledher with conceited exultation. It was so long since she had laughed. Itwas so long since she had fed properly. This was like a dream, a riotousdream of noise and colour. She looked from old Perce's red face to Mrs.Perce's almost equally florid cheeks, her eyes travelling likedragon-flies, as bright and eager as possible.

  And all the time she was taking in Mrs. Perce's appearance. Mrs. Percewore a black silk dress, very plain, but well-cut. She had a goldbrooch at her throat, and a thin gold chain round her neck. Her hair wasabundant, and was dressed in a great blob upon the top of her head. Itwas a noticeable colour, fair and startling. She did not decorate hereyebrows and eyelashes, which were darker than her hair. And she worehigh corsets, because her bosom, although firm, was inclined to beover-flowing. The bodice of her dress fitted closely and emphasised whatwas still a very shapely figure. She was what would be called a finewoman. Her eyes were full and clear; her lips were well-moulded; herteeth, rather protruding, were unimpaired. Sally was filled with renewedenvy of her personal advantages. Then her eyes went back to Mrs. Perce'shair. It was too obviously doctored. She didn't want anything like that.She wanted something more delicate....

  The truth flashed upon her. Mrs. Perce was a trifle on the coarse side.Sally quickly compared Mrs. Perce's plump hands with her own lean ones.At the scrutiny, she put her hands below the table, for they were notclean. But if they had been clean she would have taken pride in them;for where the fingers of Mrs. Perce were stubby her own were slim andpretty. She understood her own shortcomings, but in the quickobservations and comparisons she had been making, Sally had learnt agreat deal more clearly than ever before how careful she must be toavoid exaggeration in all she did. Dressed and adorned as Mrs. Perce wasdressed and adorned, she would have looked a guy. It was a new lesson toher, and a valuable one.

  "Have you noticed," said Mrs. Perce, "how me and Perce's dressed upto-day?"

  Sally was staggered. She looked quickly at old Perce and saw that he wasin his best clothes, with a lovely new spotted blue and white tie, anda dahlia in his buttonhole.

  "Of course," she said. "I noticed everything. Didn't like to ask. Whatis it? Is it your birthday? Wish I'd known," she added, half-truthfully."I'd a brought you a present."

  "No," laughed Mrs. Perce. "Very good guess. Not a birthday. It's theanniversary of our wedding-day. Been married nine years, we have."

  "Nine years!" echoed Sally, awestruck. "Nine years! And you haven't hada baby yet!"

  There was a startling guffaw. Old Perce slapped his leg and bayed. Mrs.Perce threw herself back in her chair, showing every brilliant tooth.The noise was tremendous.

  "The things she says!" shrieked Mrs. Perce. "Perce, I always said thatchild was a caution!" They both laughed until they were in an extremityof mirth.

  Sally recognised herself as a wit, flushed, and laughed as heartily asthey. She had spoken incautiously, as a child, and withoutsophistication. But she accepted responsibility for her joke. She wasnot in the least flurried, but was pleased at being considered an adeptin the ways of marriage. At heart she was despising herself for nothaving been more truly observant of their clothes, because in realityshe had been so concentrated upon Mrs. Perce that she had never thoughtto spare an eye for Mrs. Perce's husband. She was thankful to haveridden off so easily upon her naivete. Meanwhile, having laughed amply,the Barrows had resumed their tea.

  "Nine years, eh!" said old Perce, reflectively. "Takes some believing,Poll. Nine years. Nine years, and no baby, eh!" He shook his head, likea cat sneezing, and laughed again. "Here, Sally. Have some more kipper.More tea, then. Poll, here's a lady will have some more tea, if youplease, ma'am. Sweet enough, Sally? As before, if you please, Poll."

  "See, where was you then, Perce?" asked Mrs. Perce. "Nine years ago."

  "This time nine years ago----" murmured old Perce, reflectively. "I wasat Potter's. Yes, Sally, I waddn't makin' above two pound a week when Igot married--if that. Two pound a week was about my top-notch in thosedays. Well, it's different now." He shrugged his shoulders. "And I'lltell you for why, Sally. It was Poll, there. Don't you forget it. If aman's got a good wife--say there's something in him--he'll end his daysin comfort. _She'll_ see to that. Now, the man you marry----"

  "Here, Perce! Steady on!" cried Mrs. Perce. "Sally's not seventeen yet,remember."

  "Wait!" Old Perce directed a finger. Sally was brimming with gladness,at the topic and the confidence in herself which she saw he was going toexpress. "The man you marry, Sally--he'll have to _be_ a man. Understan'what I mean? None of these fine la-di-da fellows, but a Man. And--if heworks, you save. Not to scrape, you understand. Just save. For the firstfive years, be careful. Have your fun. No harm in that. But be careful.No kids. No swank. Stability, that's what's wanted. Stability. If you'vegot a bit of money behind you---- See what I mean?"

  "Oo yes, Mr. Barrow," said Sally, incoherent with pride. "That's justwhat I think."

  Old Perce looked at Mrs. Perce, raising his shoulders as if to exhibitSally to her. There was a nod between them. For some time all becamerather thoughtful, perhaps thinking--as she was uncontrollably doing--ofSally's future. Old Perce took out his pipe at last.

  "I'm just going to step in the other room, Sally," he remarked, "andhave a pipe and a bit of a tune. I'll see you later--you ladies," headded gallantly, with a bow. And then he withdrew, leaving them alone,with Sally's cheeks flushed at the warmth and the subject they had beenconsidering. All the time old Perce had been talking she had beenwishing that Toby had been there to hear. Then he'd have seen what thesepeople thought of her. They didn't think of her face; they
didn't go offin a huff because she had been too ill to go out one evening. Theyknew.... Tears filled her eyes. She stared at the red fire in the grate.Mrs. Perce had her back turned, filling the kettle for the inevitablewashing-up, and so she did not see this sudden arrival of tragicreflection. All she saw was a willing Sally gathering the dishes andscraping the fishbones together ready for throwing behind the fire. Howwas Mrs. Perce to visualise that other tea, that lonely figure in theother room? How was anybody to understand why Sally was so differentfrom what she had