‘Yes, I dare say it is, but if the new people just do their best to make you feel they don’t want you, it’s worse than that. That was why I left the Slade, really, Mr Alleyn. The instructors just used to come round once in a blue moon and look at one’s things and sigh. And the students never even seemed to see one, and if they did they looked as if one smelt. And at first this place was just as bad, though of course Miss Troy’s marvellous. Malmsley was at the Slade, and he’s typical. Seacliff’s worse. Anyway, Seacliff never sees another female, much less speaks to her. And all the men just beetle round Seacliff and never give anyone else a thought. It was a bit better after she said she was engaged to Pilgrim. Sonia felt like I did about Seacliff, and we talked about her a bit—and—well, we sort of sympathized about her.’ The thin voice with its faint echo of the Midlands went on and on.

Alleyn, listening, could see the two of them, Phillida Lee, sore and lonely; Sonia, God knew how angry and miserable, taking comfort in mutual abuse of Valmai Seacliff.

‘So you made friends?’ he asked.

‘Sort of. Yes, we did. I’m not one to look down my nose at a girl because she’s a model. I’m a communist, anyway. Sonia was furious about Seacliff. She called her awful names—all beginning with B, you know. She said somebody ought to tell Pilgrim what Seacliff really was like. She— she—said—’

Miss Lee stopped abruptly.

‘Yes?’

‘I don’t know whether I ought to—I mean—I like Pilgrim awfully and—well, I mean—’

‘Is it something that the model said about Miss Seacliff?’ said Alleyn.

‘About her! Ooo no! I wouldn’t mind what anybody said about her. But I don’t believe it was true about Pilgrim. I don’t think he was ever attracted to Sonia. I think she just made it up.’

‘Made what up, Miss Lee? Did she suggest there had been anything like a romance between herself and Mr Pilgrim?’

‘Well, if you can call it romance. I mean she said—I mean, it was only once ages ago, after a party, and I mean I think men and women ought to be free to follow their sex-impulses anyway, and not repress them. But I mean I don’t think Pilgrim ever did because he doesn’t seem as if he would somehow, but anyway, I don’t see why not, bcause as Garcia once said, if you’re hungry—’ Miss Lee, scarlet with determination, shut her eyes and added: ‘you eat.’

‘Quite so,’ said Alleyn, ‘but you needn’t guzzle, of course.’

‘Oh well—no, I suppose you needn’t. But I mean I should think Pilgrim never did.’