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make use of this ticket； which would otherwise be
wasted？〃 Then she could come there again one afternoon
for tea； and； if she saw him； ask him how he liked the
play。 If he was a nice boy and improved on acquaintance
he could be given more theatre tickets； and perhaps asked
to come one Sunday to tea at Chelsea。 Jocantha made up
her mind that he would improve on acquaintance； and that
Gregory would like him； and that the Fairy Godmother
business would prove far more entertaining than she had
originally anticipated。 The boy was distinctly
presentable； he knew how to brush his hair； which was
possibly an imitative faculty； he knew what colour of tie
suited him； which might be intuition； he was exactly the
type that Jocantha admired； which of course was accident。
Altogether she was rather pleased when the girl looked at
the clock and bade a friendly but hurried farewell to her
companion。 Bertie nodded 〃good…bye；〃 gulped down a
mouthful of tea； and then produced from his overcoat
pocket a paper…covered book； bearing the title 〃Sepoy and
Sahib； a tale of the great Mutiny。〃
The laws of tea…shop etiquette forbid that you
should offer theatre tickets to a stranger without having
first caught the stranger's eye。 It is even better if
you can ask to have a sugar basin passed to you； having
previously concealed the fact that you have a large and
well…filled sugar basin on your own table； this is not
difficult to manage； as the printed menu is generally
nearly as large as the table； and can be made to stand on
end。 Jocantha set to work hopefully； she had a long and
rather high…pitched discussion with the waitress
concerning alleged defects in an altogether blameless
muffin； she made loud and plaintive inquiries about the
tube service to some impossibly remote suburb； she talked
with brilliant insincerity to the tea…shop kitten； and as
a last resort she upset a milk…jug and swore at it
daintily。 Altogether she attracted a good deal of
attention； but never for a moment did she attract the
attention of the boy with the beautifully…brushed hair；
who was some thousands of miles away in the baking plains
of Hindostan； amid deserted bungalows； seething bazaars；
and riotous barrack squares； listening to the throbbing
of tom…toms and the distant rattle of musketry。
Jocantha went back to her house in Chelsea； which
struck her for the first time as looking dull and over…
furnished。 She had a resentful conviction that Gregory
would be uninteresting at dinner； and that the play would
be stupid after dinner。 On the whole her frame of mind
showed a marked divergence from the purring complacency
of Attab； who was again curled up in his corner of the
divan with a great peace radiating from every curve of
his body。
But then he had killed his sparrow。
ON APPROVAL
OF all the genuine Bohemians who strayed from time
to time into the would…be Bohemian circle of the
Restaurant Nuremberg； Owl Street； Soho； none was more
interesting and more elusive than Gebhard Knopfschrank。
He had no friends； and though he treated all the
restaurant frequenters as acquaintances he never seemed
to wish to carry the acquaintanceship beyond the door
that led into Owl Street and the outer world。 He dealt
with them all rather as a market woman might deal with
chance passers…by； exhibiting her wares and chattering
about the weather and the slackness of business；
occasionally about rheumatism； but never showing a desire
to penetrate into their daily lives or to dissect their
ambitions。
He was understood to belong to a family of peasant
farmers； somewhere in Pomerania； some two years ago；
according to all that was known of him； he had abandoned
the labours and responsibilities of swine tending and
goose rearing to try his fortune as an artist in London。
〃Why London and not Paris or Munich？〃 he had been
asked by the curious。
Well； there was a ship that left Stolpmunde for
London twice a month； that carried few passengers； but
carried them cheaply； the railway fares to Munich or
Paris were not cheap。 Thus it was that he came to select
London as the scene of his great adventure。
The question that had long and seriously agitated
the frequenters of the Nuremberg was whether this goose…
boy migrant was really a soul…driven genius； spreading
his wings to the light； or merely an enterprising young
man who fancied he could paint and was pardonably anxious
to escape from the monotony of rye bread diet and the
sandy； swine…bestrewn plains of Pomerania。 There was
reasonable ground for doubt and caution； the artistic
groups that foregathered at the little restaurant
contained so many young women with short hair and so many
young men with long hair； who supposed themselves to be
abnormally gifted in the domain of music； poetry；
painting； or stagecraft； with little or nothing to
support the supposition； that a self…announced genius of
any sort in their midst was inevitably suspect。 On the
other hand； there was the ever…imminent danger of
entertaining； and snubbing； an angel unawares。 There had
been the lamentable case of Sledonti； the dramatic poet；
who had been belittled and cold…shouldered in the Owl
Street hall of judgment； and had been afterwards hailed
as a master singer by the Grand Duke Constantine
Constantinovitch … 〃the most educated of the Romanoffs；〃
according to Sylvia Strubble； who spoke rather as one who
knew every individual member of the Russian imperial
family； as a matter of fact； she knew a newspaper
correspondent； a young man who ate BORTSCH with the air
of having invented it。 Sledonti's 〃Poems of Death and
Passion〃 were now being sold by the thousand in seven
European languages； and were about to be translated into
Syrian； a circumstance which made the discerning critics
of the Nuremberg rather shy of maturing their future
judgments too rapidly and too irrevocably。
As regards Knopfschrank's work； they did not lack
opportunity for inspecting and appraising it。 However
resolutely he might hold himself aloof from the social
life of his restaurant acquaintances； he was not minded
to hide his artistic performances from their inquiring
gaze。 Every evening； or nearly every evening； at about
seven o'clock； he would make his appearance； sit himself
down at his accustomed table； throw a bulky black
portfolio on to the chair opposite him； nod round
indiscriminately at his fellow…guests； and commence the
serious business of eating and drinking。 When the coffee
stage was reached he would light a cigarette； draw the
portfolio over to him； and begin to rummage among its
contents。 With slow deliberation he would select a few
of his more recent studies and sketches； and silently
pass them round from table to table； paying especial
attention to any