“There ain’t nothink ter see, yer know. We just pys in our money every week, an’ the one who draws the winnin’ number gits the feather that week, an’ then we begins all over agyne, but I’ve left that an’ jined a furniture club now,” and she gave me another sidelong look.
I was so full of my own ideas that I did not particularly notice her evident desire to be asked why, but exclaimed—
“I did not know you had other sorts of clubs.”
“Bless yer, yuss!” retorted Belinda Ann, with all her old contempt for my lamentable ignorance. “There’s furniture clubs, an’ crockery clubs, an’ photergraph clubs, an’ draperies an’ boot clubs, an’ I dun know what all!”
“And how much do you pay?” I asked.
“Well, it depends,” she replied cautiously. “It runs from anythink from thruppence to five bob, accordin’ ter succumstances, but I’ll tyke yer ter one ef yer like, though there ain’t nothink whatever ter see.”
I closed with the offer at once, and then asked what she had been doing all this time.
“’Eaps!” she answered laconically; and then remarked in a would-be off-hand manner, “I’m a-walkin’ hout with a young feller down our court.”
“Oh!” I replied, not specially impressed, as this was a very everyday affair.
“An’ ’e’s sed ‘Chairs’ ter me!” she added, with an elaborate assumption of indifference and an unsuccessful attempt not to look triumphant.