earance; these, by common consent, were
the aristocracy of the establishment. After a time, Mavis found that
there was another broad divergence between her fellow-workers, which
was quite irrespective of the department in which they were. There was
a type of girl, nearly always the best-looking, which seemed to have an
understanding and freemasonry of its own, together with secrets,
confidences, and conversations, which were never for the ears of those
who were outsiders--in the sense of their not being members of this
sisterhood. Miss Potter, Miss Allen, and Miss Impett all belonged to
this set, which nearly always went out after shop hours in evening
dress, which never seemed to want for ready money or pretty clothes,
and which often went away for the weekend ("Dawes'" closed at two on
Saturdays). When Mavis had first been introduced to the three girls
with whom she shared her bedroom, she had intuitively felt that there
was a broad, invisible gulf which lay between her and them; as time
went on, this division widened, so far as Miss Impett and Miss Potter
were concerned, to whom Mavis rarely spoke. Miss Allen, who, in all
other respects, toadied to and imitated Miss Potter, was disposed to be
friendly to Mavis. Miss Impett, who on occasion swore like any street
loafer, Mavis despised as a common, ignorant girl. Miss Potter she knew
to be fast; but Miss Allen, when alone with Mavis, went out of her way
to be civil to her; the fact of the matter being that she was a weak,
easily led girl, whose character was dominated by any stronger nature
with which she came in contact.

Another thing which much surprised Mavis was the heartless cruelty the
girls displayed to any of their number who suffered from any physical
defect. Many times in the day would the afflicted one be reminded of
her infirmity; the consequent tears incited the tormentors to a further
display of malignity.

Bella, the servant, was an object of their attentions; her gait and
manner of breathing would be imitated when she was by. She was always
known by the name of "Pongo," till one of the "young ladies" had
witnessed The Tempest from the upper boxes of His Majesty's Theatre;
from this time, it was thought to be a mark of culture on the part of
many of the girls at "Dawes'" to call her "Caliban." Mavis sympathised
with the afflicted woman's loneliness; she made one or two efforts to
be friendly with her, but each time was repulsed.

One day, however, Ma