o come in."

The girl came in and stayed till it was time for her to commence the
elaborate dressing demanded by her occupation. Mavis made her some tea,
and the girl (who was called "Lil") prevailed upon her hostess to
accept cigarettes. If the girl had been typical of her class, Mavis
would have had nothing to do with her; but although Lil made a brave
show of cynicism and gay worldliness, Mavis's keen wits perceived that
these were assumed in order to conceal the girl's secret resentment
against her habit of life. Mavis, also, saw that the girl's natural
kindliness of heart and refined instincts entitled her to a better fate
than the one which now gripped her. Lil was particularly interested in
Mavis's baby. She asked continually about him; she sought him with her
eyes when talking to Mavis, conduct that inclined the latter in her
favour.

When Lil was going she asked:

"May I come again?"

"Why not?" asked Mavis.

"I didn't know I--I--So long," cried Lil, as she glanced in the
direction of the baby.

On the occasion of her next visit, which took place two afternoons
later, Lil asked:

"May I nurse your baby?" to add, as Mavis hesitated, "I promise I won't
kiss him."

Mavis consented, greatly to Lil's delight, who played with the baby for
the rest of the afternoon.

"You're fond of children?" commented Mavis.

The girl nodded, the while she bit her lip.

"I can see you've had baby brothers or sisters," remarked Mavis.

"How do you know?"

"By the way you hold him."

"What do you think of Gertie?" asked Lil quickly.

"Who's Gertie?"

"Mr Gussle. Upstairs we always call him Gertie."

"I can't make him out," said Mavis, at which she learned from Lil that
Mr Gussle loathed his present means of earning a livelihood; also, that
he hungered for respectability, and that, to satisfy his longing, he
frequented, in his spare time, a tin tabernacle of evangelical
leanings. Mavis also learned that the girls upstairs, knowing of Mr
Gussle's proclivities, tempted him with cigarettes, spirits, and
stimulating fleshly allurements.

One day, when Mavis had left her sleeping baby to go out for a few
minutes, she returned to find Lil nursing her boy, the while tears fell
from her eyes. Mavis pretended not to notice the girl's grief. She
busied herself about the room, till Lil recovered herself. Later, when
Mavis was getting seriously pressed for money, she came across odd half
sovereigns in various parts of the