a little calmer. Ruth and Nora now had their elbows on the table, their heads on their chins, and were gazing at me, their story forgotten. Annie, I could hear in the pauses of the new song, was explaining to an incredulous Miss Raymond: ''No, I swear, we had no idea. Arrived on Florrie''s doorstep with a black eye and a bunch of cresses, and has never left it. Quite a dark horse ..."
Florence herself had her face turned my way, and her eyes in shadow.
''You were really famous?'' she asked me, as I found a cigarette and lit it. ''And you really sang?''
''Sang, and danced. And acted, once, in a pantomime at the Britannia.'' I slapped my thigh. ''"My lords, where is the Prince, our master.''" She laughed, though I did not.
''How I wish I''d seen you! When was all this?''
I thought for a moment; then, ''Eighteen eighty-nine,'' I said.
She stuck her lip out. ''Ah. Strikes all that year: no time for the music hall. I think, one night, I might have stood outside the Britannia, collecting money for the dockers ..." She smiled. ''I should have liked a chocolate sovereign, though.''
''Well, I should have made sure to throw you one
423
She lifted her glass to her lips, then thought of something else. ''What happened,'' she asked, ''to make you leave the theatre? If you were doing so well, why did you stop? What did you do?''
I had admitted to some things; but I wasn''t ready to admit to them all. I pushed my plate towards her. ''Eat this pie for me,'' I said. Then I leaned past her and called down the table. ''I say, Annie. Give me a cigarette, will you? This one''s a dud.''