“How much?” inquired the rest of the syndicate in a single breath.
“Eighteen guineas!” said Chimp.
“Eighteen guineas!” said Soapy.
They looked at each other wanly, while Dolly, unheeded, spoke of ships and ha’porths of tar.
“And a new dress,” she continued, warming to her work. “And new shoes and a new parasol and new gloves and new——”
“Have a heart, petty,” pleaded Mr. Molloy. “Exercise a little discretion, sweetness.”
Dolly was firm.
“A girl,” she said, “can’t do herself justice in a tacky lid. You know that. And you know as well as I do that the first thing a gentleman does is to look at a dame’s hoofs. And as for gloves, I simply beg you to cast an eye on these old things I’ve got on now and ask yourselves——”
“Oh, all right, all right,” said Chimp.