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would get two upper circle tickets for a popular play；
make her way into some cheap tea…shop； and present the
tickets to the first couple of interesting work girls
with whom she could casually drop into conversation。 She
could explain matters by saying that she was unable to
use the tickets herself and did not want them to be
wasted； and； on the other hand； did not want the trouble
of sending them back。 On further reflection she decided
that it might be better to get only one ticket and give
it to some lonely…looking girl sitting eating her frugal
meal by herself； the girl might scrape acquaintance with
her next…seat neighbour at the theatre and lay the
foundations of a lasting friendship。
With the Fairy Godmother impulse strong upon her；
Jocantha marched into a ticket agency and selected with
immense care an upper circle seat for the 〃Yellow
Peacock；〃 a play that was attracting a considerable
amount of discussion and criticism。 Then she went forth
in search of a tea…shop and philanthropic adventure； at
about the same time that Attab sauntered into the garden
with a mind attuned to sparrow stalking。 In a corner of
an A。B。C。 shop she found an unoccupied table； whereat she
promptly installed herself； impelled by the fact that at
the next table was sitting a young girl； rather plain of
feature； with tired； listless eyes； and a general air of
uncomplaining forlornness。 Her dress 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 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 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。
ON APPROVAL
OF all the genuine Bohemians who strayed from time
to time into the would…be Bohemian circle of the
Restaurant Nuremberg； Owl Street； Soho； none was more
interesting and more elusive than Gebhard Knopfschrank。
He had no friends； and though he treated all the
restaurant frequenters as acquaintances he never seemed
to wish to carry the acquaintanceship beyond the door
that led into Owl Street and the outer world。 He dealt
with them all rather as a market woman might deal with
chance passers…by； exhibiting her wares and chattering
about the weather and the slackness of business；
occasionally about rheumatism； but never showing a desire
to penetrate into their daily lives or to dissect their
ambitions。
He was understood to belong to a family of peasant
farmers； somewhere in Pomerania； some two years ago；
according to all that was known of him； he had abandoned
the labours and responsibilities of swine tending and
goose rearing to try his fortune as an artist in London。
〃Why London and not Paris or Munich？〃 he had been
asked by the curious。
Well； there was a ship that left Stolpmunde for
London twice a month； that carried few passengers； but
carried them cheaply； the railway fares to Munich or
Paris were not cheap。 Thus it was that he came to select
London as the scene of his great adventure。
The question that had long and seriously agitated
the frequenters of the Nuremberg was whether this goose…
boy migrant was really a soul…driven genius； spreading
his wings to the light； or merely an enterprising young
man who fancied he could paint and was pardonably anxious
to escape from the monotony of rye bread diet and the
sandy； swine…bestrewn plains of Pomerania。 There was
reasonable ground for doubt and caution； the artistic
groups that foregathered at the little restaurant
contained so many young women with short hair and so many
young men with long hair； who supposed themselves to be
abnormally gifted in the domain of music； poetry；
painting； or stagecraft； with little or nothing to
support the supposition； that a self…an