There Will Come A Stranger Read Online Free PDF Page A

first visit to London, and she had been looking forward to sight-seeing and window-gazing. But Vivian was undaunted. They would take a taxi to a Knightsbridge store and look round there at leisure, independent of the weather.
    “First of all,” she said when they were on their way, “for clothes! I ’ ve made a list of what I think you ’ ll need. Let ’ s have a cup of coffee while we talk it over.”
    Valerie ’ s eyes widened as she read the list Vivian handed her across the table. “But this is far more than I really need! I can quite well manage with one evening dress—I ’ ve got that red one of Monica ’ s, you know. And my dressing - gown is perfectly all right—I only got it in the July sales, reduced from seven guineas to fifty shillings. And — ”
    Vivian interrupted her. “That ’ s just the trouble! As far as I can make out, everything you ’ ve got is either a hand-down from Monica, chosen to go with her black hair and dark eyes, or from Janet, who has no taste anyway and is about twice your size, or else you bought it not because you liked it or it suited you, but because it was a bargain. Nothing you possess is you, expressive of yourself! And psychologically that ’ s bad for any woman. I want you to scrap everything you ’ ve got and make a fresh start. Let me give you everything on that list. You ’ ll find it ’ s just a minimum of what you ’ ll need!”
    “It ’ s—oh, it ’ s darling of you to suggest it! But it ’ s far too much—I can ’ t let you give me all that — ”
    “Listen. You know that saying— ‘ The Lord loveth a cheerful giver ’ ?”
    Valerie nodded.
    “Well, I ’ m quite sure that a cheerful taker is every bit as popular in heaven! Think of the pleasure you ’ ll be giving me by happily accepting a few frocks and things that I can well afford to give you!”
    “ Oh ... I hadn ’ t thought of it like that!”
    “Well, just you think of it ‘ like that ’ from now on, and we ’ ll both have lots of fun!”
    So when they had finished their coffee they embarked on shopping. Vivian, judging by Valerie ’ s present wardrobe, had expected that her taste would need a good deal of unobtrusive guiding if her new clothes were to be becoming. She was surprised and pleased to find that Valerie knew very well what suited her, although she preferred the less becoming of two frocks if it were also the less expensive—a tendency that Vivian nipped firmly in the bud.
    Their first purchase was a suit. The jacket was of deep blue tweed, its collar checked in grey and blue. It had two skirts, one of plain blue, the other of the same material as the collar. With it went an overcoat. It was comfortably roomy, with a small roll collar, and was reversible, one side being of the checked material, the other blue. The colours emphasized the grey-blue of her appealing eyes, and by their contrast brightened the pale gold of her hair, stressing her personality, instead of dimming it, as her old grey clothes had done.
    Valerie was a small stock size and the outfit fitted her as though it had been made for her, so Vivian suggested she should wear it there and then and have her other, unbecoming clothes sent to the vicar of a poor parish who had been appealing in the personal column of The Times for unwanted clothing. The obliging sales assistant, interested in the transformation scene, fetched pullovers from another department, then went for blouses while they made their choice. A twin-set and a long-sleeved pullover were sent to their hotel; meanwhile Valerie wore a shirt of pearl-grey crepe.
    By the time that they had found a jaunty little cap of deep blue felt, and bought neat shoes, comfortably and snugly fitting, of dark blue reversed calf with a matching handbag, they were beginning to be tired, and more than ready for lunch.
    “What shall we have?” asked Vivian, studying the menu.
    “Something we wouldn ’ t have at home!” “D ’ you like smoked