upstairs over the sitting-room. They are small stumpy
little rooms,--"but mine own." Who says--"But mine own?"
Somebody does, and I repeat it. They are mine own, at any
rate till next Saturday.

And we have settled this terrible engagement and signed
it. I'm to sing for Moss at "The Embankment" for four
months, at the rate of L600 a year. It was a Jew's
bargain, for I really had filled the house for a
fortnight. Fancy a theatre called "The Embankment"! There
is a nasty muddy rheumatic sound about it; but it's very
prettily got up, and the exits and entrances are also
good. Father goes with me every night, but I mean to let
him off the terrible task soon. He smiles, and says he
likes it. I only tell him he would be a child if he did.
They want to change the piece, but I shall make them
pay me for my dresses; I am not going to wear any other
woman's old clothes. It's not the proper way to begin,
you have to begin as a slave or as an empress. Of course,
anybody prefers to do the empress. They try, and then they
fail, and tumble down. I shall tumble down, no doubt; but
I may as well have my chance.

And now I'm going to make you say that I'm a beast. And
so I am. I make a little use of Mahomet M. M.'s passion
to achieve my throne instead of taking up at once with
serfdom. But I do it without vouchsafing him even the
first corner of a smile. The harshest treatment is all
that he gets. Men such as Mahomet M. will live on harsh
treatment for a while, looking forward to revenge when
their time comes. But I shall soon have made sure of my
throne, or shall have failed; and in either case shall
cease to care for Mahomet M. By bullying him and by
treating him as dust beneath my feet, I can do something
to show how proud I am, and how sure I am of success. He
offers me money--not paid money down, which would have
certain allurements. I shouldn't take it. I needn't
tell you that. I should like to have plenty of loose
sovereigns, so as to hire broughams from the yard, instead
of walking, or going in a 'bus about London, which is very
upsetting to my pride. Father and I go down to the theatre
in a hansom, when we feel ourselves quite smart. But it
isn't money like that which he offers. He wants to pay me
a month in advance, and suggests that I shall get into
debt, and come to him to get me out of it.