I'm afraid not. It started worse than ever about two minutes ago. [He goes to the plinth beside the flower girl; puts up his foot on it; and stoops to turn down his trouser ends].

　　THE MOTHER

　　Oh, dear! [She retires sadly and joins her daughter].

　　THE FLOWER GIRL

　　[taking advantage of the military gentleman's proximity to establish friendly relations with him]. If it's worse it's a sign it's nearly over. So cheer up, Captain; and buy a flower off a poor girl.

　　THE GENTLEMAN

　　I'm sorry, I havnt any change.

　　THE FLOWER GIRL

　　I can give you change, Captain.

　　THE GENTLEMEN

　　For a sovereign? Ive nothing less.

　　THE FLOWER GIRL

　　Garn! Oh do buy a flower off me, Captain. I can change half-a-crown. Take this for tuppence.

　　THE GENTLEMAN

　　Now dont be troublesome: theres a good girl. [Trying his pockets] I really havnt any change--Stop: heres three hapence, if thats any use to you [he retreats to the other pillar].

　　THE FLOWER GIRL

　　[disappointed, but thinking three halfpence better than nothing] Thank you, sir.

　　THE BYSTANDER

　　[to the girl] You be careful: give him a flower for it. Theres a bloke here behind taking down every blessed word youre saying. [All turn to the man who is taking notes].

　　THE FLOWER GIRL

　　[springing up terrified] I aint done nothing wrong by speaking to the gentleman. Ive a right to sell flowers if I keep off the kerb. [Hysterically] I'm a respectable girl: so help me, I never spoke to him except to ask him to buy a flower off me. [General hubbub, mostly sympathetic to the flower girl, but deprecating her excessive sensibility. Cries of Dont start hollerin. Whos hurting you? Nobody's going to touch you. Whats the good of fussing? Steady on. Easy, easy, etc., come from the elderly staid spectators, who pat her comfortingly. Less patient ones bid her shut her head, or ask her roughly what is wrong with her. A remoter group, not knowing what the matter is, crowd in and increase the noise with question and answer: Whats the row? What she do? Where is he? A tec taking her down. What! him? Yes: him over there: Took money off the gentleman, etc. The flower girl, distraught and mobbed, breaks through them to the gentleman, crying wildly] Oh, sir, dont let him charge me. You dunno what it means to me. Theyll take away my character and drive me on the streets for speaking to gentlemen. They--

　　THE NOTE TAKER

　　[coming forward on her right, the rest crowding after him] There, there, there, there! whos hurting you, you silly girl? What do you take me for?

　　THE BYSTANDER

　　It's all right: hes a gentleman: look at his boots. [Explaining to the note taker] She thought you was a copper's nark, sir.

　　THE NOTE TAKER

　　[with quick interest] Whats a copper's nark?

　　THE BYSTANDER

　　[inapt at definition] It's a--well, it's a copper's nark, as you might say. What else would you call it? A sort of informer.

　　THE FLOWER GIRL

　　[still hysterical] I take my Bible oath I never said a word--

　　THE NOTE TAKER

　　[overbearing but good-humored] Oh, shut up, shut up. Do I look like a policeman?

　　THE FLOWER GIRL

　　[far from reassured] Then what did you take down my words for? How do I know whether you took me down right? You just shew me what youve wrote about me. [The note taker opens his book and holds it steadily under her nose, though the pressure of the mob trying to read it over his shoulders would upset a weaker man]. Whats that? That aint proper writing. I cant read that.

　　THE NOTE TAKER

　　I can. [Reads, reproducing her pronunciation exactly] "Cheer ap, Keptin; n' baw ya flahr orf a pore gel."

　　THE FLOWER GIRL

　　[much distressed] It's because I called him Captain. I meant no harm. [To the gentleman] Oh, sir, dont let him lay a charge agen me for a word like that. You--

　　THE GENTLEMAN

　　Charge! I make no charge. [To the note taker] Really, sir, if you are a detective, you need not begin protecting me against molestation by young women until I ask you. Anybody could see that the girl meant no harm.

　　THE BYSTANDERS GENERALLY

　　[demonstrating against police espionage] Course they could. What business is it of yours? You mind your own affairs. He wants promotion, he does. Taking down people's words! Girl never said a word to him. What harm if she did? Nice thing a girl cant shelter from the rain without being insulted, etc., etc., etc. [She is conducted by the more sympathetic demonstrators back to her plinth, where she resumes her seat and struggles with her emotion.]

　　THE BYSTANDER

　　He aint a tec. Hes a blooming busybody: thats what he is. I tell you, look at his boots.

　　THE NOTE TAKER

　　[turning on him genially] And how are all your people down at Selsey?

　　THE BYSTANDER

　　[suspiciously] Who told you my people come from Selsey?

　　THE NOTE TAKER

　　Never you mind. They did. [To the girl] How do you come to be up so far east? You were born in Lisson Grove.

　　THE FLOWER GIRL

　　[appalled] Oh, what harm is there in my leaving Lisson Grove? It wasnt fit for a pig to live in; and I had to pay four-and-six a week. [In tears] Oh, boo--hoo--oo--

　　THE NOTE TAKER

　　Live where you like; but stop that noise.

　　THE GENTLEMAN

　　[to the girl] Come, come! he cant touch you: you have a right to live where you please.

　　A SARCASTIC BYSTANDER

　　[thrusting himself between the note taker and the gentleman] Park Lane, for instance. Id like to go into the Housing Question with you, I would.

　　THE FLOWER GIRL

　　[subsiding into a brooding melancholy over her basket, and talking very low-spiritedly to herself] I'm a good girl, I am.

　　THE SARCASTIC BYSTANDER

　　[not attending to her] Do you know where I come from?

　　THE NOTE TAKER

　　[promptly] Hoxton.

　　Titterings. Popular interest in the note taker's performance increases.

　　THE SARCASTIC ONE

　　[amazed] Well, who said I didnt? Bly me! You know everything, you do.

　　THE FLOWER GIRL

　　[still nursing her sense of injury] Aint no call to meddle with me, he aint.

　　THE BYSTANDER

　　[to her] Of course he aint. Dont you stand it from him. [To the note taker] See here: what call have you to know about people what never offered to meddle with you? Wheres your warrant?

　　SEVERAL BYSTANDERS

　　[encouraged by this seeming point of law] Yes: wheres your warrant?