As before, she looked into
the impassive face of "Turpsichor" while she waited for the door to
be answered.
A slatternly servant of the charwoman species replied to her
summons. Upon Mavis saying that she wanted to see Mr Poulter
immediately, she was shown into the "Ladies' Waiting Room," from
which Mavis gathered that Mr Poulter had returned.
After a while, Mr Poulter came into the room with a shy, self-
conscious smile upon his lovable face.
"You've heard?" he asked, as she shook hands.
Mavis looked at him in surprise.
"Of course you have, and have come to congratulate me," he
continued.
"I'm glad you've been successful," said Mavis, now divining the
reason of his elation.
"Yes" (here he sighed happily), "I've won the great cotillion prize
competition. Just think of it!" Here he took a deep breath before
saying, "All the dancing-masters in the United Kingdom competed,
even including Gellybrand" (here his voice and face perceptibly
hardened), "but I won."
"I congratulate you," said Mavis.
Mr Poulter's features weakened into a broad smile eloquent of an
immense satisfaction.
"You can tell people you've been one of the first to congratulate
me," he remarked.
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