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MADAME FLIRT

A ROMANCE OF
"THE BEGGAR'S OPERA"

BY

CHARLES E. PEARCE

"Why how now Madam Flirt"—Lucy.

AUTHOR OF
"STIRRING DEEDS IN THE GREAT WAR," "A QUEEN OF THE PADDOCK,"
"CORINTHIAN JACK," ETC.

LONDON
STANLEY PAUL & CO.
31, ESSEX STREET, STRAND, W.C.2.

Printed in Great Britain at the Athenæum Printing Works, Redhill

First Published in 1922.

CONTENTS

[Pg 9]

MADAME FLIRT

CHAPTER I

"IF YOUR NAME ISN'T POLLY IT OUGHT TO BE"

"As pretty a wench as man ever clapped eyes on. Wake up, Lance, and lookat her."

The portly man of genial aspect sitting in the corner of the bow windowof the Maiden Head Inn at the High Street end of Dyott Street in thevery heart of St. Giles, clapped his sleeping friend on the shoulder andshook him. The sleeper, a young man whose finely drawn features wereclouded with the dregs of wine, muttered something incoherently, andwith an impatient twist shifted his body in the capacious arm-chair.

"Let him alone, Mr. Gay. When a man's in his cups he's best by himself.'Twill take him a day's snoring to get rid of his bout. The landlordhere tells me he walked with the mob from Newgate to Tyburn and back andrefreshed himself at every tavern on the way, not forgetting, I warrantyou, to fling away a guinea at the Bowl, the Lamb, and the 'Black Jack'over yonder, and drink to the long life of the daring rogue in the cartand the health of the hangman to boot."