Page:Delight - de la Roche - 1926.djvu/26

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a rest? It never gets out of one frizz till you put it in another. It 'ud be pretty a little bit straight like."

"It's all very well for you to talk with a crop of natural curls as thick as a seryphim's. If I didn't frizz my 'air there'd be nothing of it."

"Well, frizz away, but do hurry. Oo-er, I'm tired." She had been sitting on the side of the bed pulling off her stockings, and now she flung herself back on to the pillow, opening her mouth in a wide yawn and stretching her arms above her head. Her chemise, drawn upward, disclosed her strong, white thighs, glistening in the lamplight. She rocked her body from side to side in an abandon of relaxation.

"Oo-er, it's nice to get your duds off! What do you think of this place, May?"

"It's 'ard to tell the first night. Old Jessop's on 'er good be'aviour. I make a guess that she's a tartar. The other two girls seem nice, but you can't never tell. Cook's got a pleasant way wiv 'er. I think I'll like cook."

"Oh, May, ain't her tooth funny?"

"If I 'ad it, I'd bite that soft-'eaded 'usband of 'ers, Charley, wiv it. I can't stand a simple man."

Delight rolled over on her face and smothered her laughter. "Oh, you are a rip, May!"

"Stop your laughing or you'll 'ave old Jessop in 'ere arter us. Stow it now, or I'll be over to you wiv the brush. You're pretty 'andy, lying like that. Did your Granny ever take the brush to you, Delight?"

"No. She never gave me more than a little tap with her hand."

"You'd be a better girl if she 'ad."

"Oh, May, I'm not bad."

"Well, perhaps not, but I bet your Granny would be glad you'd got me to look arter you."