'Who is it?' Cora's voice asked sleepily, then she said more sharply, 'What is it?'
'It's me, George.'
'What do you want?' She sounded irritable, and a moment later she snapped on a light over her bed.
George looked at her, feeling a great rush of love and tenderness to his heart.
She's wonderful, he thought, looking at her. She was wearing a pair of satin, peach-coloured pyjamas he guessed she must have borrowed from Eva.
'What is it?' she repeated, looking at her wristwatch. 'Why, it's after one. Haven't you been to bed?'
'May I come in?' -George asked, still standing awkwardly in the doorway. 'I've got a surprise for you.'
Instantly a quick, calculating expression jumped into her eyes. 'A surprise? What is it?'
'I've got you some clothes,' George said, showing her the bundle. Now he was in the light he saw that Babs had put the clothes in a pillowcase.
'Are you mad?' she said blankly. 'What clothes?'
'You wanted an outfit,' George said patiently. 'I—I've got you one.'
Cora sat up in bed. 'You've got me one?' she repeated.
It was just as George had hoped it would be. He had staggered her. She was excited. She had never looked at him like this before.
He nodded. 'I said you had only to ask and I'd get it for you.'
'But how?' Cora demanded. 'Don't stand there like a dummy. Come in, shut the door.' She slid out of bed, now thoroughly awake and excited. 'How did you do it?'
This was George's moment. This was the sweetest moment in George's life.
'Well, it wanted a bit of thinking out,' he said, coming into the room and shutting the door. 'I couldn't rob a store. I hadn't any money. So I decided to take the clothes off someone about your size.'
Cora gaped at him—actually gaped at him! 'You didn't!' she exclaimed. George nodded. Tears of elation pricked his eyes. 'I had to pinch a taxi. That wasn't too easy, and then I cruised around the West End until I spotted a well-dressed girl. I offered her a lift. She lived in Hampstead somewhere and—and I took her up on the Heath and made her take her clothes off and—well, here I am.'
'George!' Cora gasped. 'I don't believe it.' But she believed it all right; he could see the look of startled admiration in her eyes.
'You did that for me?' she said, jumping up. 'Why, George! Why, it's wonderful!'
For a moment he thought she was going to throw her arms round his neck, but instead, she ran past him to the door and threw it open.
'Eva! Ernie! Come here! Come here at once!'
He didn't want the other two. He wanted to hear Cora say over and over again that he was wonderful. He wanted her to be very nice to him in that lovely peach-coloured suit. He wanted to be able to hold her in his arms and feel her hair against his face.
Eva and Little Ernie appeared in the doorway. They looked startled.
'Wot's hup?' Little Ernie asked, looking from Cora to George.
'You must hear this,' Cora exclaimed, excitedly. 'I asked George to get me a complete outfit of clothes. Of course, I was fooling. I knew he couldn't get them at this ti me of the night, but I wanted to pull his leg. I pretended to be dead set on having some clothes for tomorrow . . .'
'Well, I could have fixed you up,' Little Ernie said, leering at her. 'I've got tons of clothes. It's me job to keep my girls smart, ain't it, Eva?'
This was a triumph for George. Well, he'd beaten the little rat! In the morning Cora would have gone to him, and George would have had the humiliation of seeing her wear clothes from a pimp
'Shut up, Ernie,' Cora said sharply. 'George has actually done it! It's the most fantastic story I've ever heard. He pinched a taxi, picked up a girl, took her on the Heath and pinched her clothes.' George could feel Eva's admiring gaze. Even Little Ernie's mouth fell open.
'For Gawd's sake!' Little Ernie said. 'The old Chicago stuff! Wot 'appened to the girl? Cor luv me! I'd given me eyes to 'ave seen 'er. She must 'ave been 'opping mad.'
George smirked uneasily. 'I didn't bother my head about her,' he said, shrugging his shoulders. 'I told her to scram, and she scrammed!'
'I bet she did,' Little Ernie giggled. 'And pinching a taxi! Wot an idea! That's brains! Lolly Cheese! I wouldn't 'aye thought of that one meself.'
'Let's look at the clothes,' Eva said. 'What has he got you?'
'Of course!' Cora cried, snatching the bundle from George. 'Let's see if his taste is good.'
George giggled with excitement. He couldn't help it. Suddenly it seemed he was one of them. They were smiling at him, nodding at him. They said he had brains. Cora was like a kid in her excitement.
The two girls took the pillowcase over to the bed, while Little Ernie sidled up to George.
'Wot was she like, palsy?' he whispered. 'Orl right?'
George winked. He suddenly quite liked this red-headed little man, and when Little Ernie nudged him in the ribs and put the obvious question, George shoved him off playfully and said, 'That's telling.'
