Arthur Welsh is the barber at the Belvoir Hotel and in love with manicurist Maud Peters. But all is not well. Arthur is jealous of all the men who chat to Maud and this is a burden to her. Following a painful scene in which she takes him to task, Arthur's conduct improves for a while before he slips back to his old ways.
Then there is a sudden cessation of jealousy which worries Maud. Does Arthur still love her? There is only one course open to her - consult Dr. Cupid.
| Arthur Welsh | a barber |
| Maud Peters | a manicurist |
| Clarence 'Skipper' Shute | a professional pugilist |
| Robert Bryce | a policeman |
First published December 1910 in the Strand magazine.
Go the whole hog
- do something thoroughly.
'Jealousy, according to an eminent authority, is the "hydra of calamities, the sevenfold death".'
- Edward Young, The Revenge, Act 2, Scene 1.
'perfect Othellos'
- the lead character in Shakespeare's play of that name, consumed by jealousy.
'... troupe of pierrots ...'
- a concert party. From the 1890s to the early twentieth century, many English seaside towns had their own local troupes of pierrots. The character Pierrot was a stock character in old French pantomime, wearing a loose white costume of pantaloons and a jacket with large buttons, and with white face makeup.
Mug's Alley
- a description of ice skating from 1909 refers to Mug's Alley as a beginner's track along one side of the rink where the handrail could always be clutched 'if the floor became too elusive'. This story is the same vintage.
Tube station
- London Underground railway station.
'[They] had little that was pleasant to say to the divinity who was shaping their ends.'
- Shakespeare, Hamlet Act 5, Scene 2.
'... he would probably step aside politely, as who should say "After you, my dear Alphonse."'
- from the cartoon strip Alphonse and Gaston by Frederick Burr Opper about two excessively polite Frenchmen. Although the strip only lasted a few years (from 1900) the phrase 'After you, Alphonse' and variations lasted much longer.
Lothario
- a rake or libertine (from character in Rowe's Fair Penitent, 1703).
'... on the eve of starting on a lucrative music-hall tour ...'
- at this time, top boxers fought rarely but made a good living from what we now call 'personal appearances'.
'It's a poor heart that never rejoices.'
- an old saying or proverb.
Luna Park
- an amusement park at Coney Island, New York, now long closed.
White City
- the site of a number of exhibitions from 1908 until the exhibition buildings were taken down. The name is still applied to the area on the west side of London.
'Farewell, Evelina, fairest of your sex.'
- probably a reference to Evelina: The History of a Young Lady's Entrance into the World by Frances 'Fanny' Burney (1778), in which Evelina is described as loveliest of thy sex and most charming of thy sex, both close enough for PG to mis-remember. Evelina is not a common name and the book is a 'classic'.
Wiggle-Woggle
- a wooden roller coaster attraction at the White City in 1910 (a photo on the web looks more like a slide than what we think of as a roller coaster today).
Hairy Ainus
- an aboriginal people from northern Japan. They were 'exhibited' at the Japan-British Exhibition of 1910 at the White City and other such events.
'He was not one of your sensitive plants.'
- thick-skinned, tough, not a sensitive person (from the title of a poem by Percy Bysshe Shelley).
Witching Waves
- a fairground attraction like dodgems except the floor moved up and down to create a wave motion which moved the cars. The ride referred to here was probably the one at the Imperial International Exhibition of 1909 at the White City.
Uji village
- another rural people exhibited at the Japan-British Exhibition.
Ace-high
- in high esteem.
Raphael
- Raphael Sanzio (1483-1520), Italian artist of the Renaissance.
Flip-Flap
- an attraction at the White City 1908 exhibition which gave riders long views from about 200ft for sixpence.
'Shakespeare says "It is the green-eyed monster, which doth mock the meet it feeds on." '
- Othello, Act 3, Scene 3.