"I am a lady. I know how to be'ave when a gentleman offers me a
drink," retorted Miss Impett.

"You a lady--you--!" began the sufferer's ministering angel. She got
no further, being checked by her friend casting a significant glance
in Mavis's direction.

Half an hour later, Mavis fell asleep. It was a strange experience
when, the next morning, she had to wash and dress with three other
girls doing the same thing in the little space at their disposal.

She had asked if there were any chance of getting a bath, to be
surprised at the astonished looks on the faces of the others. At a
quarter to eight, they scurried down to breakfast, at which meal
Miss Striem presided, as at supper.

Breakfast consisted of thick bread, salt butter, and the cheapest of
cheap tea. It was as much as Mavis could do to get any of it down,
although she was hungry. She could not help noticing that she was
the object of much remark to the other girls present, her words with
Miss Striem on the previous evening having attracted much attention.
After breakfast, Mavis was taken upstairs to the department in which
she was to work. It was on the roomy ground floor, for which she was
thankful; she was also pleased that the girl selected to instruct
her in her duties was her Browning friend of last night. Her work
was not arduous, and Mavis enjoyed the handling of dainty things;
but she soon became tired of standing, at which she sat on one of
the seats provided by Act of Parliament to rest the limbs of weary
shop assistants.