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thing,’ and next time with ironical emphasis called him
Mister Carey. She was a Miss Jewell, and she was going to
marry a doctor. The other girls had never seen him, but they
said he must be a gentleman as he gave her such lovely pres-
ents.
‘Never you mind what they say, dear,’ said Mrs. Hodges.
‘I’ve ‘ad to go through it same as you ‘ave. They don’t know
any better, poor things. You take my word for it, they’ll like
you all right if you ‘old your own same as I ‘ave.’
The social evening was held in the restaurant in the base-
ment. The tables were put on one side so that there might
be room for dancing, and smaller ones were set out for pro-
gressive whist.
‘The ‘eads ‘ave to get there early,’ said Mrs. Hodges.
She introduced him to Miss Bennett, who was the belle
of Lynn’s. She was the buyer in the ‘Petticoats,’ and when
Philip entered was engaged in conversation with the buyer
in the ‘Gentlemen’s Hosiery;’ Miss Bennett was a woman
of massive proportions, with a very large red face heavily
powdered and a bust of imposing dimensions; her flaxen
hair was arranged with elaboration. She was overdressed,
but not badly dressed, in black with a high collar, and she
wore black glace gloves, in which she played cards; she had
several heavy gold chains round her neck, bangles on her
wrists, and circular photograph pendants, one being of
Queen Alexandra; she carried a black satin bag and chewed
Sen-sens.
‘Please to meet you, Mr. Carey,’ she said. ‘This is your first
visit to our social evenings, ain’t it? I expect you feel a bit shy,

Of Human Bondage