came
upon her. She did not know this man. Who was he? Perhaps a thief. She
suddenly remembered that women of her kind were sometimes murdered for
the sake of their jewellery. As the man turned to come up the steps she
pulled herself together. 'After all,' she thought, 'it's only
professional risk.'

They stood for a moment in the hall of the silent house. She felt
awkward. The man looked at her and mistook her hesitation.

'It's all right,' he faltered. He looked about him, then, quickly
whipping out a sovereign purse, he drew out two sovereigns with a click
and laid them on the hall table.

'You see,' he said '. . . a girl like you. . . . three more to-morrow
morning. . . . I'm square you know.'

Victoria smiled and, after a second's hesitation, picked up the money.

'So'm I,' she said. Then she switched on the light and pointed
upstairs.

CHAPTER VIII

VICTORIA'S new career did not develop on unkindly lines. Every night she
went to the Vesuvius, where she soon had her appointed place full under
one of the big chandeliers. She secured this spot without difficulty,
for most of her rivals were too wise to affront the glare; as soon as
she realised this she rather revelled in her sense of power, for she now
lived in a world where the only form of power was beauty. She felt sure
of her beauty now she had compared it minutely with the charms of the
preferred women. She was finer, she had more breed. Almost every one of
those women showed a trace of coarseness: a square jaw, not moulded in
big bone like hers but swathed in heavy flesh; a thick ankle or wrist;
spatulate fingertips; red ears. Her pride was in the courage with which
she welcomed the flow of the light on her neck and shoulders; round her
chandelier the tables formed practically into circles, the nearest being
occupied by the very young and venturesome, a few by the oldest who
desperately clung to their illusion of immortal youth; then came the
undecided, those who are between ages, who wear thick veils and sit with
their backs to the light; the outer fringe was made up of those who
remembered. Their smiles were hard and fixed.

She was fortunate enough too. She never had to sit long in front of the
little glass which she discovered to be kummel; the waiter always
brought it unasked. Sometimes they would chat for a moment, for
Victoria was assimilating the lazy familiarity of her surroundings. He
talked about the weather, the latest tips for Go