tion for the hurt to her pride which she had suffered
yesterday at Orgles's hands. She thought her sudden good fortune
justified a trifling extravagance; she had no fancy for Mrs Bilkins's
smoked tea, so she turned into the first teashop she came to, where she
revelled in scrambled eggs, strong tea, bread, butter, and jam. She ate
these unaccustomed delicacies slowly, deliberately, hugely enjoying the
savour of each mouthful. She then walked in the direction of Shepherd's
Bush.

The garish vulgarity of the Goldhawk Road, along which a procession of
electric trams rushed and whizzed, took away her breath. Devonport
Road, in which she was to find the academy, was such a quiet, retiring
little turning that Mavis could hardly believe it joined a noisy
thoroughfare like the Goldhawk Road. "Poulter's" Dancing Academy took
some finding; she had no number to guide her, so she asked the two or
three people she met if they could direct her to this institution, but
not one of them appeared to know anything about it. She walked along
the road, keeping a sharp look-out on either side for door plate or
lamp, which she believed was commonly the out-ward and visible sign of
the establishment she sought. A semicircle of brightly illuminated
coloured glass, placed above an entrance gate, attracted her, but
nearer inspection proved this to be an advertisement of "painless
dentistry."

Further down the road, a gaily coloured lamp caught her eye, the
lettering on which read "Gellybrand's Select Dancing Academy. Terms to
suit all pockets. Inquire within." Mavis was certain that the name of
which she was in search was none other than Poulter: she looked about
her and wondered if it were possible for such a down-at-heel
neighbourhood to support more than one dancing academy. The glow of a
light in an open doorway on the other side of the way next attracted
her. She crossed, to find this light came from a lamp which was held
aloft by a draped female statue standing just inside the door: beyond
the statue was another door, the upper part of which was of glass, the
lower of wood. Written upon the glass in staring gilt letters was the
name "Poulter's."

Mavis walked up the steps to the front door. Her heart sank as she
noticed that the plaster had worn away and was broken from various
parts of the house, which had a shabby and dilapidated appearance.
Mavis set going a bell, which could be heard faint-heartedly tinkling
in the distance; she emp