606 ANGEL PAVEMENT

now in that unaccountable fashion that ships have-
seemed to her very ugly and dull, and it was incredible
that this dirty water and drab messiness should be the
beginning of a voyage to South America, of which her
fancy entertained the liveliest and most exciting pictures,
chiefly derived from the films. After that awful night
with the boy from the office, she had been only too glad
to leave London, which seemed to her, on the whole, a
stupid place, but she could hardly believe now that in a
fortnight or so she would be staring at South American
young men with black side-whiskers and absurd hats.
She was annoyed with the ship for stopping like this, as
if it had nothing better to do than loiter about these
dingy sheds and flat boats full of barrels, and when one
of the officers hung about, looking as if he wanted to
pour out information, she gave him a haughty glance
and walked away.

Her father and his new acquaintance, having finished
their cigars, leaned over the rail, and decided that they
were ready for lunch. Meanwhile, they talked idly.

"I don't blame you/' said Mr. Sudgen. "I don't like
London myself-never did, I had a year there once.
Didn't like it at all I couldn't get on with the
Londoners—too much of this haw-haw-haw stuff and the
striped trousers and black coat and white spat business.
Didn't suit me, I can tell you. They thought they were
smart, too/'

'They're not-most of 'em," said Mr. Golspie. "I soon
found that out."

"So did I,1' the other continued in his curiously flat
mournful voice, "and when I did find it out and told 'em
as much, they didn't like it. No, they didn't like it"
Mr. Sugden did not go on to explain why they should