A Handful of Dust - Evelyn Waugh [52]
when he came to discuss the question later with Jock, it did not seem so easy. "It's not a thing one can ask every girl to do," he said, "whichever way you put it. If you say it is merely a legal form it is rather insulting, and if you suggest going the whole hog it's rather fresh-suddenly, I mean, if you've never paid any particular attention to her before and don't propose to carry on with it afterwards... Of course there's always old Sybil." But even Sybil refused. "I'd do it like a shot any other time," she said, "but just at the moment it wouldn't suit my book. There's a certain person who might hear about it and take it wrong... There's an awfully pretty girl called Jenny Abdul Akbar. I wonder if you've met her." "Yes, I've met her." "Well won't she do?" "No." "Oh dear, I don't know who to suggest." "We'd better go and study the market at the Sixty-four," said Jock. They dined at Jock's house. Lately they had found it a little gloomy at Brown's for people tended to avoid anyone they knew to be unhappy. Though they drank a magnum of champagne they could not recapture the light-hearted mood in which they had last visited Sink Street. And then Tony said, "Is it any good going there yet?" "We may as well try. After all we aren't going there for enjoyment." "No, indeed." The doors were open at 64 Sink Street and the hand was playing to an empty ballroom. The waiters were eating at a little table in the corner. Two or three girls were clustered round the Jack-Pot machine losing shillings hard and complaining about the cold. They ordered a bottle of the Montmorency Wine Company's brandy and sat down to wait. "Any of those do?" asked Jock. "I don't much care." "Better get someone you like. You've got to put in a lot of time with her." Presently Milly and Babs came downstairs. "How are the postman's hats?" said Milly. They could not recognise the allusion. "You are the two boys who were here last month, aren't you?" "Yes. I'm afraid we were rather tight." "You don't say?" It was very seldom that Milly and Babs met anyone who was quite sober during their business hours. "Well come and sit down. How are you both?" "I think I'm starting a cold," said Babs. "I feel awful. Why can't they heat this hole, the mean hounds?" Milly was more cheerful and swayed in her chair to the music. "Care to dance?" she said, and she and Tony began to shuffle across the empty floor. "My friend is looking for a lady to take to the seaside," said Jock. "What, this weather? That'll be a nice treat for a lonely girl." Babs sniffed into a little ball of handkerchief. "It's for a divorce." "Oh, I see. Well, why doesn't he take Milly? She doesn't catch cold easy. Besides she knows how to behave at a hotel. Lots of the girls here are all right to have a lark with in town but you have to have a lady for a divorce." "D'you often get asked to do that?" "Now and then. It's a nice rest-but it means so much talking and the gentlemen will always go on so about their wives." While they were dancing Tony came straight to business. "I suppose you wouldn't care to come away for the week-end?" he asked. "Shouldn't mind," said Milly. "Where?" "I thought of Brighton." "Oh... Is it for a divorce?" "Yes." "You wouldn't mind if I brought my little girl with us? She wouldn't be any trouble." "Yes." "You mean you wouldn't mind?" "I mean I should mind." "Oh... You wouldn't think I had a little girl of eight, would you?" "No." "She's called Winnie. I was only sixteen when I had her. I was the youngest of the family and our stepfather wouldn't leave any of us girls alone. That's why I have to work for a living. She lives with a lady at Finchley. Twenty-eight bob a week it costs me, not counting her clothes. She does like the seaside." "No," said Tony. "I'm sorry but it would be quite impossible. We'll get a lovely present for you to take back to her." "All right... One gentleman gave her a fairy bicycle for Christmas. She fell off and cut her knee... When do we start?" "Would you like to go by train or car?" "Oh train. Winnie's sick if she goes in a car." "Winnie's not coming."