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admiration, she talked mysteriously of fair and dark men,
of money in a letter, and of journeys, till the sweat stood in
heavy beads on her painted face.
‘Look at me,’ she said. ‘I’m all of a perspiration.’
Supper was at nine. There were cakes, buns, sandwiches,
tea and coffee, all free; but if you wanted mineral water you
had to pay for it. Gallantry often led young men to offer the
ladies ginger beer, but common decency made them refuse.
Miss Bennett was very fond of ginger beer, and she drank
two and sometimes three bottles during the evening; but
she insisted on paying for them herself. The men liked her
for that.
‘She’s a rum old bird,’ they said, ‘but mind you, she’s not
a bad sort, she’s not like what some are.’
After supper progressive whist was played. This was very
noisy, and there was a great deal of laughing and shouting,
as people moved from table to table. Miss Bennett grew hot-
ter and hotter.
‘Look at me,’ she said. ‘I’m all of a perspiration.’
In due course one of the more dashing of the young men
remarked that if they wanted to dance they’d better begin.
The girl who had played the accompaniments sat at the pia-
no and placed a decided foot on the loud pedal. She played
a dreamy waltz, marking the time with the bass, while with
the right hand she ‘tiddled’ in alternate octaves. By way of
a change she crossed her hands and played the air in the
bass.
‘She does play well, doesn’t she?’ Mrs. Hodges remarked
to Philip. ‘And what’s more she’s never ‘ad a lesson in ‘er life;