of men's necks on the top of a car, in
full view of the whole world.
They descended and strolled on further. There was no crowd now to
hinder them, and they were curious to see what this far-stretching
thoroughfare led to.
"So far it seems a broad stretch of mean quaintness. I had no idea
London was so big. And what grimy side streets! I shudder to think of
the grimy network that lies on either hand. Morgan, I feel a very
immoral person."
"Your emotions are strangely unpredictable."
"What right have I to forty thousand a year when there are people
starving in these back streets?" asked Lady Thiselton indignantly. "I
am going to turn Socialist."
"You are not."
"I am."
"You'll never abandon individualism."
"Of course not. I'd never think of parting with that. But I really
don't see why I shouldn't be a Socialist as well. I pity those poor,
benighted beings that have room in their narrow souls for only one set
of opinions. I like to be everything, to hold every 'ism,' and to be
labelled all over with every 'ist,' like the window of that
'eating-house' yonder. Which reminds me of my dinner party to-night.
Isn't it terrible to eat in Belgrave Square when some people have to
eat in a place like that. It's positively wicked. I have an idea. I
think I can't do better than inaugurate my new 'ism' by lunching there
to-day. Suppose we do so on our way back."
"But _I_ never confessed to be converted to socialism," he protested.
"Why it's a dear little eating-house, a perfect love of a place."
"I take it for granted you wish to meet your guests to-night with a
smiling face," he warned her.
"The consciousness of having had the courage of my 'ism' will fill me
with such a glow of goodness that I cannot fail to appear a veritable
Madonna. Of course, you know I am counting on you."
"No."
"Yes."
"No."
"But I haven't filled up the place. I've been relying on nagging you
into coming."
"You know I don't want to," he grumbled yieldingly.
"But I want you to. Don't be angry, dear," she went on, coaxingly.
"Haven't I amused you the whole time?"
He ended by promising to come, if not incapacitated by the lunch, and
felt fairly secure of passing the evening at home.
After they had wandered about for some time longer and had paid
pennies to see a curious compound animal, a sort of ox, sheep, horse,
donkey and goat rolled into one, and an abnormally fat woman, more
decently clad than the life-size col
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