From an expensively hideous couch Mrs. Slumper regarded the fruit of her advertisement.
She was a large vulgar-looking woman of about fifty summers. Whosesoever the hair of her head, it was most elaborately dressed and contained five combs. Anthony counted them. She was enclosed in a dress which was at once highly fashionable and painfully unbecoming, and the pearls which rose and fell upon her tremendous bosom were almost too good to be true. From beneath the short skirt a pair of ponderous legs terminated in all the anguish of patent-leather shoes. Anthony bowed.
"'Oo 'ave you bin with?" said Mrs. Slumper.
"If you take me, madam, this will be my first place."
Mrs. Slumper choked with emotion.
"Firs' place!" she cried. "Want ter try yer 'and on me?" She looked round savagely. "Where's me lorenets?" she added furiously.
Much as a victim-to-be might hand his dispatcher the knife, Anthony plucked the eye-glasses from beneath a cushion and put them into her hand.
His action took the wind out of her sails. Anthony saw this, and hastened to press his advantage.
"I know it's unusual, madam, but I'm quite willing to leave at the end of a week without wages, if you're not satisfied."
Mrs. Slumper grunted with astonishment.