Madame Flirt

t, and though the combatants were unfairly matche

re's plenty of it. Once you get a fair hold and

could renew the attack her arm was seized by a man, slight in stature and with a na

you must fight choose someone as big an

ctor." "No, is it though. Lord, he can make folks laugh-ah, split their sides a'most. I see

t he had two friends with him, stalwart butchers from Clare Market, and he turned

the crowd. Gay saw the red angry mark on the girl's pal

e. I'll join you pre

er eyes and vanished.

, Jemmy, for what you did just now. That wi

er teeth to

ter that tussle. And your friends as well,

had come to see the fun of an execution, with money burning holes in their pockets, being captured, the party subsided into the "Bowl" where

the Maiden Head tavern. She felt terribly embarrassed and answered Bolingbroke's compliments in monosyllables

his butcher friends, and Leveridge,

to say Lavinia-how you have offen

might be the sharpening of a knife on a grindstone. She would be a play actress, and Mrs. Barry at Drury Lane promis

fully expressive, and Gay did not at once answer. He was thinking

ows your good sense. Wait here a few minute

ler and Leveridge had much to say-indeed it was to these two, who had practical k

n tragedy but in comedy-and of an enchanting singer. But to be proficient she must be taught not only music, but how to pronounce the English language properly. She had to a certain extent pic

ge. But how was she to be educated? And what was the use of

g school and be among gentlefo

rst time, "and may I ask who will pay for the ines

e did not go unnoticed by Ga

f her moth

add to the burden of debt round your neck rather than reduce it. Have you

ways be wise. Thou thyself-but let that pass, the future is the foundation of hope. Before l

t so ready to pay the writer his due. Moreover if I know anything of John Gay, of a ce

nking alone of the booksellers. It is a 'place' I shall have

servant Sir Robert-or is Walpole her master? What will t

either. There's not a word in the 'Fables' that

table 'place' out of pure admiration

Frien

wouldn't be a poet. I leave you to your comme

with a wave of the hand to Gay and his friends strode from the

itting primly on the edge of the hard chair, her folded hands resting on her lap. Before she could cross the

" Gay lowered his voice. "You wouldn't have her be like Sally Salisbury, Jemmy, would you? She has a good and innocent nature. It will be torn to tatters if she be n

to the sleep

ttle angrily. "Wine is Lancelot Vane's only weakness-w

at provided a good heart g

e,

ns from his drunken fit he'll be li

l protect him-his empty purse. I doubt if he has a stiver l

scurrilous, venomous print?"

he hates Amherst, who owns it. But what is

'Caleb D'Anvers,' why I know not, unless he's ashamed of the name his father gave him. Do you know that the Cr

can take care of themselves. For every blow they get

ur friend well rid of the rascally D'Anvers. Look

, and presently she and her new found friend were threading their way through a network of courts

from his intention. Bedfordbury was not worse than St. Giles. The girl led him

whispered when they

ron bore traces of miscellaneous kitchen work,

en? You don't care how hard I have to work so long as you can go a pleasuring. There's p

mewhat failed at the sight of her. Then he glanced

th your permission to have a few words with you in private. My b

ou be?" asked the

ay-but I'll tell you m

pty and Mrs. Fenton pointed to it, at the same time ordering her daughter to go into the kitchen and make herself usef

re for Lavinia. Her mother did not seem particularly

her. A young 'oman with a pretty face hasn't got no need to trouble about getting a living. Sooner or

the poet. He felt decidedly embarrassed. His project a

efit of your daugh

e was an ugly slut you wouldn't take no notice of her. Don't talk rubbish. What ar

siness. This embarrassed him still more for he was

u mustn't forget that Lavinia will have to be quite

nd the milliner, and the glover, and the hairdresser. That's your affai

five gu

a's mother. "And you ca

get your daughter off your hands I thought I was doing you a

'll go bail I'll make her work. If she goes away I've got to pay someone in her place, haven't I? Twenty gui

oul. The plain fact that he hadn't got twenty guineas in the world could not be gainsaid. But he had rich frien

n two days' time, Mrs. Fenton, I will come and see you a

longer or maybe m

Fenton, before I go I'd lik

sy's naught to do with it. She'll have to behave herself

astle in the air had he not seen Lavinia's big sorrowful eyes fixed upon him from the kitchen. He dared not disobey her mother's behest not to speak to he

y. His destination was Queensberry House to the north of Burlington Gardens. Here lived Gay's good frien

duke laughed at the poet's visions, but the duchess was fascinated. Anything of the unusual at once appealed to the warmhearted, impulsive, somewhat eccentric,

-morrow. I am dying to see if she is really the wonder you pretend she is. You k

e prejudiced," sa

hed the duke, "our p

the question after we've seen th

once was

a harpy. If she knows that your grace has anythi

gly. "He is giving us a lesson in financial economy. Duchess, y

e. We all of us have a little of that commodity. If we could only

ady's proposition, and the duches

he Bedfordbury coffee house. Mrs. Fenton was still ungracious, but the sigh

you going to take

an with the duchess a

rdrobe is being got ready, then she is to go to

jaculated Mrs. Fenton. "Then I'm to

but a clever one if

aving a crowd o' sparks a dangling after her. That Miss What's-her-name in Qu

ed things of her own child," said Gay

at about her clothes? She's but a rag-bag though it's no fault o' mine. Pray wh

ch things," rejoined Gay colouring slightly. "I

tter tell your tale to Lavinia with

. I should li

. It was a windfall which had come at the right moment. She was tired of Bedfordbury. She aimed at a step highe

entered her teens, mother and daughter had wrangled incessantly. Lavinia was amiable enough, but constant snubbing had roused a spirit which guided her ac

nhood she became a serious rival to her mother, so on the whole, Gay's proposition suited Mrs. Fenton admirably, and she certainly never bothered to find out if he spoke the truth. She was not inclined to accept his s

face fell when Gay talked about the boarding school and of the possibility of her having to remain there a long time, but

in a theatre like Mrs. Barry and Mrs. Oldfield, and-oh, and Mrs. B

d if you work hard your own way will be good enough. If you succe

anything to p

and impulsively ra

checked the rising thought. Yet there was nothing outrageous in such a possibility. Lavinia was only sixt

" he returned hastily. "I want to see yo

d at him

en I see how you get on. Now is it all settled? You're leaving

d nodded her head vigorously. The action was

who was not to be intimidated nor betrayed into confidences, superintended La

prons, and what not sent her into high spirits a

hot, "and when you're tired of your fine gentleman or he's tired of

and tripped into the hackney