. 'Aven't you 'eard?"

"Tell me."

"Oh, I say, you are ignorant! He's competing for the great cotillion
prize competition. I thought everybody knew about it."

"I think I've heard something. But could you tell me Miss Meakin's
address?"

"11 Baynham Street, North Kensington, near Uxbridge Road station," Miss
Nippett informed Mavis, after referring to an exercise book, to add:
"This is the dooplicate register of 'Poulter's.' I always keep it here
in case the other should get lost. Mr. Poulter, like all them great
men, is that careless."

"Come again soon," said Miss Nippett, as Mavis rose to go.

Mavis promised that she would.

"How long have you been married?"

"Not long. Three months."

"Any baby?"

"After three months!" blushed Mavis.

"Working so at 'Poulter's' makes one forget them things. No offence,"
apologised Miss Nippett.

"Good-bye. I'll look in again soon."

"If you 'ave any babies, see they're taught dancing at 'Poulter's.'"

Between Notting Hill and Wormwood Scrubbs lies a vast desert of human
dwellings. Fringing Notting Hill they are inhabited by lower
middle-class folk, but, by scarcely perceptible degrees, there is a
declension of so-called respectability, till at last the frankly
working-class district of Latimer Road is reached. Baynham Street was
one of the ill-conditioned, down-at-heel little roads which tenaciously
fought an uphill fight with encroaching working-class thoroughfares.
Its inhabitants referred with pride to the fact that Baynham Street
overlooked a railway, which view could be obtained by craning the neck
out of window at risk of dislocation. A brawny man was standing before
the open door of No. 11 as Mavis walked up the steps.

"Is Bill coming?" asked the man, as he furtively lifted his hat.

Mavis looked surprised.

"To chuck out this 'ere lodger for Mrs. Scatchard wo' won't pay up," he
explained.

"I know nothing about it," said Mavis.

"Ain't you Mrs Dancer, Bill's new second wife?"

Mavis explained that she had come to see Miss Meakin, at which the man
walked into the passage and knocked at the first door on the left, as
he called out:

"Lady to see you!"

"Who?" asked Miss Meakin, as she displayed a fraction of a scantily
attired person through the barely opened door.

"Have you forgotten me?" asked Mavis, as she entered the passage.

"Dear Miss Keeves! So good of you to call!" cried Miss Meakin, not a
little affectedly, so Mavis thought, as she r