Shrines of Gaiety

It’s revealed that Gwendolen recently discovered that her father had left each of his children a trust. Since Gwendolen’s brothers are dead, Gwendolen is entitled to all three trusts, so she’s well off. Gwendolen goes to buy an evening gown for her undercover mission to Nellie’s club, the Amethyst. During her excursion, she’s robbed by two women. Niven helps Gwendolen and drives her back to the ladies-only boarding house where Gwendolen is staying. Gwendolen impresses Niven by recognizing his car, a Hispano-Suiza; Gwendolen doesn’t reveal that she knows the car from a contemporary novel, The Green Hat (1924) (102). Later that day, Niven returns Gwendolen’s stolen handbag, with her possessions intact.

The narrative shifts to Freda. Before Freda ran away from home, her mother’s boyfriend sexually assaulted her—another reason that Freda left. Freda dreams of becoming a famous actress and once played a small part in a local production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Florence and Freda are unlikely friends. While Freda barely attends school and has an absent mother, Florence attends a fancy Catholic school and has attentive, religious, well-to-do parents. Florence’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. Ingram, consider Freda a bad influence on Florence.