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was of poor material； but aimed at being in the fashion； her hair was
pretty； and her complexion bad； she was finishing a modest meal of tea
and scone； and she was not very different in her way from thousands of
other girls who were finishing； or beginning； or continuing their teas in
London tea…shops at that exact moment。 The odds were enormously in
favour of the supposition that she had never seen the 〃Yellow Peacock〃；
obviously she supplied excellent material for Jocantha's first experiment
in haphazard benefaction。
Jocantha ordered some tea and a muffin； and then turned a friendly
scrutiny on her neighbour with a view to catching her eye。 At that
precise moment the girl's face lit up with sudden pleasure； her eyes
sparkled； a flush came into her cheeks； and she looked almost pretty。
A young man； whom she greeted with an affectionate 〃Hullo； Bertie；〃
came up to her table and took his seat in a chair facing her。 Jocantha
looked hard at the new… comer； he was in appearance a few years younger
than herself； very much better looking than Gregory； rather better
looking； in fact； than any of the young men of her set。 She guessed him
to be a well…mannered young clerk in some wholesale warehouse；
existing and amusing himself as best he might on a tiny salary； and
commanding a holiday of about two weeks in the year。 He was aware；
of course； of his good looks； but with the shy self… consciousness of the
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Anglo…Saxon； not the blatant complacency of the Latin or Semite。 He
was obviously on terms of friendly intimacy with the girl he was talking
to； probably they were drifting towards a formal engagement。 Jocantha
pictured the boy's home； in a rather narrow circle； with a tiresome
mother who always wanted to know how and where he spent his
evenings。 He would exchange that humdrum thraldom in due course
for a home of his own； dominated by a chronic scarcity of pounds；
shillings； and pence； and a dearth of most of the things that made life
attractive or comfortable。 Jocantha felt extremely sorry for him。 She
wondered if he had seen the 〃Yellow Peacock〃； the odds were
enormously in favour of the supposition that he had not。 The girl had
finished her tea and would shortly be going back to her work； when the
boy was alone it would be quite easy for Jocantha to say： 〃My husband
has made other arrangements for me this evening； would you care to
make use of this ticket； which would otherwise be wasted？〃 Then she
could come there again one afternoon for tea； and； if she saw him； ask
him how he liked the play。 If he was a nice boy and improved on
acquaintance he could be given more theatre tickets； and perhaps asked
to come one Sunday to tea at Chelsea。 Jocantha made up her mind that
he would improve on acquaintance； and that Gregory would like him；
and that the Fairy Godmother business would prove far more
entertaining than she had originally anticipated。 The boy was distinctly
presentable； he knew how to brush his hair； which was possibly an
imitative faculty； he knew what colour of tie suited him； which might be
intuition； he was exactly the type that Jocantha admired； which of course
was accident。 Altogether she was rather pleased when the girl looked at
the clock and bade a friendly but hurried farewell to her companion。
Bertie nodded 〃good…bye；〃 gulped down a mouthful of tea； and then
produced from his overcoat pocket a paper…covered book； bearing the
title 〃Sepoy and Sahib； a tale of the great Mutiny。〃
The laws of tea…shop etiquette forbid that you should offer theatre
tickets to a stranger without having first caught the stranger's eye。 It is
even better if you can ask to have a sugar basin passed to you； having
previously concealed the fact that you have a large and well…filled sugar
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basin on your own table； this is not difficult to manage； as the printed
menu is generally nearly as large as the table； and can be made to stand
on end。 Jocantha set to work hopefully； she had a long and rather
high…pitched discussion with the waitress concerning alleged defects in
an altogether blameless muffin； she made loud and plaintive inquiries
about the tube service to some impossibly remote suburb； she talked
with brilliant insincerity to the tea…shop kitten； and as a last resort she
upset a milk…jug and swore at it daintily。 Altogether she attracted a
good deal of attention； but never for a moment did she attract the
attention of the boy with the beautifully…brushed hair； who was some
thousands of miles away in the baking plains of Hindostan； amid
deserted bungalows； seething bazaars； and riotous barrack squares；
listening to the throbbing of tom…toms and the distant rattle of musketry。
Jocantha went back to her house in Chelsea； which struck her for the
first time as looking dull and over… furnished。 She had a resentful
conviction that Gregory would be uninteresting at dinner； and that the
play would be stupid after dinner。 On the whole her frame of mind
showed a marked divergence from the purring complacency of Attab；
who was again curled up in his corner of the divan with a great peace
radiating from every curve of his body。
But then he had killed his sparrow。
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