The Honey-Pot

t escape him. Maggy, in the draped cashmere affair struck him as likely to appeal to a Jew or a gentleman from Manchester. He had a particular individual of each type in his

mself was a shining illustration of the dictum, but that did not lessen its truth. He got his "turn" from his wealthy stage-door dilettanti. It might be a social one in the shape of admittance to elevated circles; a select club, a shooting party, a cruise on a big yacht. Sometimes it was an invitation by a young and indiscreet member of the peerage to his country house and a photograph

ten resulted in special information concerning stocks and shares that brought him large profits. He would

he looked at with a cold eye. He wasn't sure of her. He had nothing to say against her looks, but he had no use for prudish high-steppers. Quick of apprehension where g

n being. No one in the early days of rehearsal would associate the pouting, obtuse, wooden young woman with the airy fairy sylphs who ravish the eye on a first

ig and beautiful in a Futurist creation of rose fleshings and black chiffon. The front row girls were very carefully chosen for opulence of figure. Alexa

ck to see it because the music was catchy and the girls so pretty and the whole show so symbolical of the light side of life. F

e. He wanted to see her. Leaving Alexandra in the dressing room

aid in a friendly tone. "You've bee

gy answered.

sing really well. A very decent chap wants t

he can like me as much as

wed the end o

d impatiently. "I'll mix advice with a bit of prophecy. If you do

r Str

of a shop. It doesn't hurt you to be nice to a fello

and I'm particular

oor opened and a man looked in.

are of herself. But this man-what was his name-Woolf?-loomed tall and big over her, big as Fate, possessive. He exercised a spell: he appealed to her. She knew it in the first moment that she looked at

you don't think I'm Little Red Rid

ed her conscience. Then

my friend not to wai

. "You might also ask her to come

id Woolf. "You'll find

g room where she had left Alex

essly. "I wish you were coming too. Do you mind? I

ondered what else besides an invitation to lunch could have created this effect. It caused her vague uneasiness

," she said. "I hope yo

felt awkward. "You-you

unch with anybody. Especially if he'

ice, I

But be care

the

f the mirrors and to

on already," dep

I? Well, I haven't time to take any of it off. Lexie, De Freyne wants to see you in a min

pen one, was drawn up opposite it. Maggy wished the girls had not all gone. They had twit

oing?" she aske

aid Woolf. "My hou

sisted, although she had never

m so much the better; if not, he ignored it. So long as he paid the piper he considered he had the right to call the tune. But before paying he scanned the bill carefully. He was not a gentleman. He met gentle

at my place," he assured Mag

his wife to look after m

are. "Who does look after y

se. Why don't we

ou want to know why, really?

m I'll

buy you some pretty clot

e to a standstill in a traffic block. She looked hot-tempered. But

beggar maid at the Savoy until he'd dressed her out," she remarke

y n

ng woman provides

hall

therwise her independence

ve the impression of being one who was used to waiting on ladies in a single man's house. Sly and secret amusement lurked in her eyes. She lin

ike to take off

npleasantly insinuati

," said Mag

our purse on t

nothing in it. It

s and ushered her into a room h

ted?" inquired Woolf, co

oom! Silver hair-brushes and face

itors' room. I'm

you always had it ready for a lady. I don'

the downright exp

gnificantly. "She's as quiet

s no

hand and tried to draw her to

id coolly. "There's

u let me

N

y n

n, and you don't. One's out of respect fo

drew back and looked at her.

t I nee

ely. I want to be

r chin aggressively. "I've

Woolf asked wit

irl. I chu

only one occupation-the study and pursuit of man. You're like doctors, all at each other's throats. Some of you practise homeopathy, the others are allopaths. The fi

one you know,"

ry and did justice to an excellent meal. But she refused to drink anything stronger than lemon squash, and when Woolf pressed her for her re

alone Woolf lea

said. "What do you wa

replied Mag

u disl

at him and

an who might get round a girl like me if I was fool enough to l

Woolf was beginning to feel a distin

ch in our line. You can see prowli

f generalizing led away from t

"You'd believe in me if

You don't!" s

ar flannel petticoats. It doesn't follow that a girl can't tru

ecause he knows it won't la

ctical you'd lis

'll li

. You ought to have a smart little place of yo

ot the only girl you've made that proposit

u won't thin

silent for

the theater to King's Cross Road. I shall think about it when I see the other girls sneering at me because I haven't got a boy. I shall think about it in the summer time when people go

rged Woolf again. "W

traipse home night after night to that slummy little room that's dear at fifteen shillings a week? She's not used to the life, and if she can hold out

into the other room

efore you go," he

d across a man who made a direct call to her nature, and she knew it. De Freyne, callously unselective, could not have deliberately chosen an individual more likely to encompass Maggy's surrender. Woolf was not young: nearly forty. But he was so blatantly good-looking, so-so swaggering. Maggy

nd how she had tried.... But she knew perfectly well that he would not understand. He was a man who would never understand women's feelings because he did not think them worth understanding. As long

o kiss me against

d a business appointment at three and did not want to be late for it. If Maggy had offered him her soul at three that a

ther persuasion. "You can go home in

When she returned Woolf was no longer in

ment to keep. He asked me to say would you ring him up any time you wished

d servant avoids. Maggy knew perfectly well what he and his wife thought about her. Unused as she was to servan

ad a disheartening effect upon her. When the chauffeur stopped at her door she was sure she saw disparagement in his face. He would return to his own place and tell Woolf's man and his wife to what sort of a lodging-house

It depressed her. The lunch was over; the pleasant excitatio

-cups from the cupboard where they were kept. She was rather glad she had got in before her fri

steps outside

up, Lex

. Bell, no

half sheet of paper on the table. "I'd be glad to

n't got

ave to depend on, you know. By the way, I ought to have told you, it'll be sevent

car," snapped Maggy. "W

rie. Can't you just giv

hreepence to the chauffeur. They had despised the coppers, naturally, and barely thanked her. They would not h

woman, thinking of the car. "I'll tre

o had come up, pass into the room. Maggy looked u

she explained to Alexandra. "It seems as it's not convenie

asked Alexandra in

altogether with l

ent Alexandra han

ipt and go, ple

aggy stood still waiti

did you

dra began to cry brokenly. She ha

t is it?" Her voice

crying as suddenly

she said. "I think I've been walking ever

th her hands in her lap staring in front of her. Maggy knelt on the floor and gently drew off her friend's sh

gy knew she couldn't talk now. She couldn't have said a word

at the door, and their landla

ught you a pint for a relish, d

ggy took them and s

d hysterically. "Temptation a