rting a limited company? You'd find
difficulties. Now what you want to start is a--let us call it the South
London Dress Supply Association, or something of that kind. But you
won't get to that all at once. You ought to have premises to begin
with.'

'I'm aware of it.'

'Can you raise a thousand or so?'

'Yes, I could--if I chose.'

'Now, look here. Your notion of the Fashion Club is a deuced good one,
and I don't see why it shouldn't be pretty easily started. Out of every
five hundred women, you can reckon on four hundred and ninety-nine being
fools; and there isn't a female fool who wouldn't read and think about
a circular which promised her fashionable dresses for an unfashionable
price. That's a great and sound basis to start on. What I advise is,
that you should first of all advertise for a dress-making concern that
would admit a partner with a small capital. You'll have between ten
and twelve hundred replies, but don't be staggered; go through
them carefully, and select a shop that's well situated, and doing a
respectable trade. Get hold of these people, and induce them to make
changes in their business to suit your idea. Then blaze away with
circulars, headed "South London Fashion Club;" send them round the whole
district, addressed to women. Every idiot of them will, at all events,
come and look at the shop; that can be depended upon; in itself no bad
advertisement. Arrange to have a special department--special entrance,
if possible--with "The Club" painted up. Yes, by jingo! Have a big room,
with comfortable chairs, and the women's weekly papers lying about,
and smart dresses displayed on what-d'ye-call-'ems, like they have in
windows. Make the subscription very low at first, and give rattling good
value; never mind if you lose by it. Then, when you've got hold of a lot
of likely people, try them with the share project. By-the-bye, if you
lose no time, you can bring in the Jubilee somehow. Yes, start with the
"Jubilee Fashion Club." I wonder nobody's done it already.'

Beatrice was growing elated.

'The public has to wait for its benefactors,' she replied.

'I'll tell you what, would you like me to sketch you out a prospectus of
the Club?'

'Yes, you might do that if you like. You won't expect to be paid?'

'Hang it! what do you take me for?'

'Business is business,' Miss. French remarked coldly.

'So it is. And friendship is friendship. Got a match?' He laughed. 'No,
I suppose you haven't.'

'I