“But where am I to eat it?” asked Mavis.

“In some quiet street,” replied Miss Meakin.  “Why not?”

“With one’s fingers?”

“There’s no one to see you.”

Mavis looked dubious.

“It’s either that or picking up ‘boys,’” remarked Miss Meakin.

“Picking up boys!” echoed Mavis, with a note of indignation in her voice.

“It’s what the girls do here if they don’t want to go hungry.”

“But I don’t quite understand.”

“Didn’t you come here through old Orgles’s influence?” asked Miss Meakin guardedly.

“Nothing of the kind; one of the partners got me in.”

“Sorry!  I heard it was that beast Orgles.  But most of the ‘boys’ who try and speak to you in the street are only too glad to stand a girl a feed.”

“But why should they?”

“Don’t you know?”

“It would put me under an obligation to the man,” remarked Mavis.

“Of course; that’s what the gentlemen want.”

“But it might lead silly girls into all sorts of trouble.”

“I think most of us know how to behave like ladies and drop the gentleman when he wants to go too far.”

“Good heavens!” cried Mavis, who was taken aback by the vulgarity of Miss Meakin’s point of view.

Perhaps the latter resented the moral superiority contained in her friend’s exclamation, for she said with aggrieved voice: 

“There’s Miss Searle and Miss Bone, who’re taken everywhere by a reel swell; they even went to Paris with him at Easter; and no matter what he wants, I’m sure no one can say they’re not ladies.”

Mavis thought for a moment before saying: 

“Is that quite fair to the man?”

“That’s his look-out,” came the swift retort.

“I don’t fancy the brisket and I don’t fancy picking up men.  Can’t one get on and get in the showroom and earn more money?” asked Mavis.

“One can,” replied Miss Meakin, much emphasising the “can.”

“How is it done?”

“You ask your friend Miss Allen; she’ll tell you all about it.”

“She’s no friend of mine.  Can’t you tell me?”

“I could, but don’t want to; you look at things so funny.  But, then, you don’t like Browning,” replied Miss Meakin.

Mavis was filled with blind rage at the indifference of “Dawes’” to the necessities of those they engaged; as long as the firm’s big dividend was made, they were careless to what questionable shifts and expedients their staff was reduced in order to have sufficient strength to bring to the daily task of profit-earning.  She pondered on the cruelty and injustice of it all in odd moments; she could not give much thought to the matter, as Christmas was approaching, which meant that “Dawes’” would be hard at work to cope with the rush of custom every minute of the working day, and for some time after the doors were closed to the public.  The class