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Full download Operations Management 1st Edition Cachon Test Bank all chapter 2024 pdf
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Chapter 08 Test Bank KEY
1. An example of a lean operation is to have workers standing around with mobile payment units
waiting to check customers out.
FALSE
Flow time is minimized at the expense of wasted time of workers waiting to check out
customers.
AACSB: Analytical Thinking
Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation
Blooms: Understand
Difficulty: 2 Medium
Learning Objective: 08-01 Explain the two ways in which an operation can be wasteful.
Topic: What Is Lean Operations?
TRUE
FALSE
An operation is lean if it strives to reduce waste in its capacity as well as the time a flow unit
spends in the system.
AACSB: Analytical Thinking
Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation
Blooms: Remember
Difficulty: 1 Easy
Learning Objective: 08-03 Determine the percentage of flow time that is value-added time.
Topic: Wasting Time of a Flow Unit
4. The 4Ps of the TPS are place, promotion, people, and profit.
FALSE
The 4Ps of the TPS are philosophy, processes, people, and problem solving.
8-1
Copyright © 2016 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent
of McGraw-Hill Education.
AACSB: Analytical Thinking
Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation
Blooms: Understand
Difficulty: 2 Medium
Learning Objective: 08-04 Explain the main building blocks of the Toyota Production System.
Topic: The Architecture of the Toyota Production System
FALSE
6. A short information turnaround time requires many inspection points throughout the process to
identify quality problems when and where they arise.
TRUE
Having many inspection points will stop a defect from passing downstream and thus reduce
information turnaround time.
7. Lean operations is about reducing two forms of waste, wasted _______ and wasted ________.
A. inventory, capacity
B. capacity, flow time
C. inventory, flow time
D. inventory, time
There are two forms of waste, wasted capacity and wasted flow time.
AACSB: Analytical Thinking
Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation
Blooms: Remember
Difficulty: 1 Easy
Learning Objective: 08-01 Explain the two ways in which an operation can be wasteful.
Topic: What Is Lean Operations?
12. Which of the following is NOT a component of worker time on the job?
A. Waste
B. Value-added work
C. Commuting
8-3
Copyright © 2016 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent
of McGraw-Hill Education.
D. Non-value-added work
Commuting is not a component of a worker’s time as it happens outside work.
AACSB: Analytical Thinking
Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation
Blooms: Remember
Difficulty: 1 Easy
Learning Objective: 08-02 Distinguish between waste, non-value-added work, and value-added work and determine the percentage of value-
added work at a resource.
Topic: Wasting Time of a Resource
14. The overall equipment effectiveness framework identifies what percentage of a resource’s
time is _________ and what percentage is _________.
A. available time, value-added time
B. equipment time, labor time
C. value-added time, wasted time
D. available time, wasted time
The overall equipment effectiveness framework identifies what percentage of a resource’s time is value-
add time and what percentage is wasted time.
AACSB: Analytical Thinking
Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation
Blooms: Remember
Difficulty: 1 Easy
Learning Objective: 08-02 Distinguish between waste, non-value-added work, and value-added work and determine the percentage of value-
added work at a resource.
Topic: Wasting Time of a Resource
16. A machine is available 10 hours a day. Each part takes 90 minutes to fabricate and 10
minutes to setup. 10% of the parts made are defective and must go through the machine again to
8-4
Copyright © 2016 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent
of McGraw-Hill Education.
be reworked, during which both setup and fabrication have to be performed again. The machine
is idle for any unused time. On average, 5 good parts are made each day. What is the overall
equipment effectiveness of the machine?
A. 0.075
B. 0.17
C. 0.75
D. 0.83
Total time available = 10 × 60 = 600 minutes. Value added time = 90 × 5 = 450 minutes. OEE = 450 /
600 = 0.75.
AACSB: Analytical Thinking
Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation
Blooms: Understand
Difficulty: 2 Medium
Learning Objective: 08-02 Distinguish between waste, non-value-added work, and value-added work and determine the percentage of value-
added work at a resource.
Topic: Wasting Time of a Resource
17. Which of the following is NOT one of the seven sources of waste?
A. Inventory
B. Overproduction
C. Waste of management time
D. Movement
Waste of management time is not one of the seven sources of waste.
AACSB: Analytical Thinking
Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation
Blooms: Remember
Difficulty: 1 Easy
Learning Objective: 08-02 Distinguish between waste, non-value-added work, and value-added work and determine the percentage of value-
added work at a resource.
Topic: Wasting Time of a Resource
18. Which of the following is NOT an element of the Toyota Production System?
A. Scientific management
B. Kaizen
C. Lean
D. Genchigenbutsu
Scientific management is not an element of the Toyota Production System as it is about following
scientific principles of designing work instead of relying on workers’ insights.
AACSB: Analytical Thinking
Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation
Blooms: Remember
Difficulty: 1 Easy
Learning Objective: 08-02 Distinguish between waste, non-value-added work, and value-added work and determine the percentage of value-
added work at a resource.
Topic: Wasting Time of a Resource
19. Which of the following statements about sources of production waste is FALSE?
A. Working overtime is a waste because it means more labor cost is spent on a flow unit than
necessary.
B. Rework is a waste because resources are spent to correct mistakes instead of adding value.
C. Waiting is a waste because resources are not fully utilized.
D. Over-processing is a waste because it means more time is spent on a flow unit than necessary.
8-5
Copyright © 2016 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent
of McGraw-Hill Education.
Working overtime is not a source of production waste because it is a way to match supply and demand.
21. Which of the following statements is FALSE regarding overall equipment effectiveness
(OEE)?
8-6
Copyright © 2016 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent
of McGraw-Hill Education.
A. Keep resources busy.
B. Keep moving things around.
C. Produce expected demand.
D. Produce at the volume of actual demand.
Producing exactly the quantity needed to meet demand is a means to counter overproduction.
AACSB: Analytical Thinking
Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation
Blooms: Remember
Difficulty: 1 Easy
Learning Objective: 08-02 Distinguish between waste, non-value-added work, and value-added work and determine the percentage of value-
added work at a resource.
Topic: Wasting Time of a Resource
24. The following are sources of wasting time of a flow unit EXCEPT:
A. storage times.
B. transportation times.
C. processing times.
D. setup times.
Time spent in processing is not a waste as it is spent productively.
AACSB: Analytical Thinking
Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation
Blooms: Remember
Difficulty: 1 Easy
Learning Objective: 08-03 Determine the percentage of flow time that is value-added time.
Topic: Wasting Time of a Flow Unit
25. Wastes of flow time become visible by taking the perspective of the _________.
26. Which of the following statements about wasting time of a flow unit is TRUE?
A. By reducing the waiting time of a flow unit, the time it takes to turn inputs into output is
decreased.
B. The process flow diagram shows where and why a flow unit spends time in a process.
C. The value-added time of a flow unit is equal to its takt time.
D. Holding everything constant, an increase in flow time improves the extent to which an
operation is considered lean.
When waiting time of a flow unit is reduced, its flow time is shortened which means it takes less time to
turn inputs into output.AACSB: Analytical Thinking
Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation
Blooms: Understand
Difficulty: 2 Medium
Learning Objective: 08-03 Determine the percentage of flow time that is value-added time.
Topic: Wasting Time of a Flow Unit
8-7
Copyright © 2016 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent
of McGraw-Hill Education.
27. Which of the following can NOT be used to determine the extent to which an operation is
lean?
A. Inventory turns
B. Value-added percentage
C. Overall equipment effectiveness
D. Labor content
Labor content is the sum of processing time. It does not tell whether an operation is lean or not.
AACSB: Analytical Thinking
Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation
Blooms: Remember
Difficulty: 1 Easy
Learning Objective: 08-03 Determine the percentage of flow time that is value-added time.
Topic: Wasting Time of a Flow Unit
28. Which of the following can be used to uncover a waste of flow time?
A. Inventory level
B. Overall equipment effectiveness
C. Labor content
D. Overtime
A high level of inventory is usually indicative of a waste of flow time.
AACSB: Analytical Thinking
Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation
Blooms: Remember
Difficulty: 1 Easy
Learning Objective: 08-03 Determine the percentage of flow time that is value-added time.
Topic: Wasting Time of a Flow Unit
31. A patient spent 25 minutes waiting in the reception area before seeing a doctor. The visit
with the doctor lasted 5 minutes. What is the value-added percentage of the patient?
8-8
Copyright © 2016 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent
of McGraw-Hill Education.
A. 20%
B. 17%
C. 80%
D. 83%
Flow time is 25 + 5 = 30 minutes. Value-add time is 5 minutes. Therefore, the value-add percentage =
5/30 = 0.17 = 17%.
AACSB: Analytical Thinking
Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation
Blooms: Remember
Difficulty: 1 Easy
Learning Objective: 08-03 Determine the percentage of flow time that is value-added time.
Topic: Wasting Time of a Flow Unit
32. Which of the following is NOT one the 4Ps of Toyota production system?
A. People
B. Profit
C. Processes
D. Philosophy
The 4Ps of Toyota production system is philosophy, processes, people, and problem solving.
AACSB: Analytical Thinking
Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation
Blooms: Remember
Difficulty: 1 Easy
Learning Objective: 08-04 Explain the main building blocks of the Toyota Production System.
Topic: The Architecture of the Toyota Production System
33. The Toyota Production System is often depicted as a house. The two pillars of the TPS are
___________ and ____________.
34. The Toyota Production System is often depicted as a house. The roof of TPS consists of
___________ and _____________.
35. The Toyota Production System is often depicted as a house. The foundation of TPS consists
of ___________ and ____________.
36. The Toyota Production System can be represented in the shape of a ___________.
A. boat
B. box
C. house
D. pyramid
TPS is often represented in the shape of a house.
AACSB: Analytical Thinking
Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation
Blooms: Remember
Difficulty: 1 Easy
Learning Objective: 08-04 Explain the main building blocks of the Toyota Production System.
Topic: The Architecture of the Toyota Production System
37. ____________ means to produce in the amounts needed, when needed, and where needed
using a single unit flow.
A. Just-in-time
B. Built-in quality
C. Process improvement
D. Stable environment
Just-in-time means to produce in the amounts needed, when needed, and where needed using a single unit
flow.
AACSB: Analytical Thinking
Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation
Blooms: Remember
Difficulty: 1 Easy
Learning Objective: 08-04 Explain the main building blocks of the Toyota Production System.
Topic: The Architecture of the Toyota Production System
8-10
Copyright © 2016 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent
of McGraw-Hill Education.
38. _________ means to detect and address defects when and where they occur and prevent them
from recurring.
A. Just-in-time
B. Built-in quality
C. Process improvement
D. Stable environment
Built-in quality means to detect and address defects when and where they occur and prevent them from
recurring.
AACSB: Analytical Thinking
Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation
Blooms: Remember
Difficulty: 1 Easy
Learning Objective: 08-04 Explain the main building blocks of the Toyota Production System.
Topic: The Architecture of the Toyota Production System
39. __________ means a process has a smooth flow with little variability.
A. Just-in-time
B. Built-in quality
C. Process improvement
D. Stable process
Stable environment means a process has a smooth flow with little variability and built-in flexibility.AACSB:
Analytical Thinking
Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation
Blooms: Remember
Difficulty: 1 Easy
Learning Objective: 08-04 Explain the main building blocks of the Toyota Production System.
Topic: The Architecture of the Toyota Production System
40. The benefits of a smooth single unit flow include all of the following EXCEPT:
A. more inventory.
B. easier process improvement.
C. shorter flow times.
D. faster feedback.
Less inventory is the benefit of a smooth unit flow.
AACSB: Analytical Thinking
Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation
Blooms: Remember
Difficulty: 1 Easy
Learning Objective: 08-05 Explain the concepts of single-unit flow, pull, kanban, and just-in-time and be able to compute the appropriate
number of kanban cards.
Topic: TPS Pillar 1: Single-Unit Flow and Just-in-Time Production
41. Which of the following process changes is NOT needed to implement ikko-nagashi?
A. Implementing a push system
B. Operating on takt time
C. Leveling demand
D. Transferring units piece by piece
Implementing a pull system is the process change needed to implement single-unit flow.
AACSB: Analytical Thinking
Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation
Blooms: Remember
Difficulty: 1 Easy
8-11
Copyright © 2016 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent
of McGraw-Hill Education.
Learning Objective: 08-05 Explain the concepts of single-unit flow, pull, kanban, and just-in-time and be able to compute the appropriate
number of kanban cards.
Topic: TPS Pillar 1: Single-Unit Flow and Just-in-Time Production
42. In a pull system, an information flow of external demand is moving ___________ and the
physical flow of the flow units is moving ____________.
A. downstream, upstream
B. upstream, downstream
C. upstream, upstream
D. downstream, downstream
External demand is the information that flows upstream and the physical flow of the flow units is moving
downstream.
AACSB: Analytical Thinking
Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation
Blooms: Understand
Difficulty: 2 Medium
Learning Objective: 08-05 Explain the concepts of single-unit flow, pull, kanban, and just-in-time and be able to compute the appropriate
number of kanban cards.
Topic: TPS Pillar 1: Single-Unit Flow and Just-in-Time Production
43. A kanban system ____________ work through the process based on _________.
A. pushes, capacity
B. pulls, capacity
C. pushes, demand
D. pulls, demand
A kanban system pulls work through the process based on demand.
AACSB: Analytical Thinking
Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation
Blooms: Remember
Difficulty: 1 Easy
Learning Objective: 08-05 Explain the concepts of single-unit flow, pull, kanban, and just-in-time and be able to compute the appropriate
number of kanban cards.
Topic: TPS Pillar 1: Single-Unit Flow and Just-in-Time Production
45. A production process has two workstations. The first workstation has a capacity of 200 units
per hour and the second workstation has a capacity of 150 units per hour. Demand for the
process is 250 units per hour. What is the utilization of the first workstation in a push process?
A. 100%
B. 80%
C. 75%
8-12
Copyright © 2016 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent
of McGraw-Hill Education.
D. 60%
Flow rate = Min(Demand, Process capacity) = Min(250, 200) = 200. Capacity=200. Utilization = 200/200
= 1.
AACSB: Analytical Thinking
Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation
Blooms: Remember
Difficulty: 2 Medium
Learning Objective: 08-05 Explain the concepts of single-unit flow, pull, kanban, and just-in-time and be able to compute the appropriate
number of kanban cards.
Topic: TPS Pillar 1: Single-Unit Flow and Just-in-Time Production
47. Daily demand for a product is 200 units. The production lead time is 2 days. A 1-day safety
stock is kept. How many kanban containers will be needed if one container holds 100 units?
A. 6
B. 4
C. 2
D. 1
Demand during lead time + safety stock = 2 × 200 + 1 × 200 = 600. Number of Kanban container =
600/100 = 6.
AACSB: Analytical Thinking
Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation
Blooms: Remember
Difficulty: 2 Medium
Learning Objective: 08-05 Explain the concepts of single-unit flow, pull, kanban, and just-in-time and be able to compute the appropriate
number of kanban cards.
Topic: TPS Pillar 1: Single-Unit Flow and Just-in-Time Production
8-13
Copyright © 2016 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent
of McGraw-Hill Education.
49. C&A makes two flavors of ice cream – chocolate and vanilla. Each gallon is produced and
shipped in discrete containers. The demand for the ice cream (in gallons) is given as follow:
C&A operates 8 hours a day and 5 days a week. What is the takt time and how would C&A
schedule the production of its ice cream to level demand?
51. C&A uses an assembly line of 20 stations to make a product. The cycle time is 5 minutes per
unit. Step 6 is the most error-prone operation. Inspection occurs at the last station. What will be
the information turnaround time for a defect made at station 6 if there is no inventory between
stations?
8-14
Copyright © 2016 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent
of McGraw-Hill Education.
A. 100 minutes
B. 70 minutes
C. 5 minutes
D. 0.2 minute
There are 14 stations between stations 6 and 20. It takes 14 cycles of 5 minutes each for the flow unit to
be completely tested. Therefore, the information turnaround time = 14 × 5 = 70 minutes.
AACSB: Analytical Thinking
Blooms: Remember
Difficulty: 1 Easy
Learning Objective: 08-06 Compute takt time and determine a level production schedule.
Topic: TPS Pillar 2: Expose Problems and Solve Them When They Occur: Detect-Stop-Alert (Jidoka)
52. C&A uses a line of 5 stations to make a product. The cycle time is 30 seconds per unit. The
inventory between stations is 10 units. Inspection happens at the end of the process. Which of the
following is NOT a way to shorten the information turnaround time for a defect made at station
2?
53. The key concepts that characterize TPS’s approach towards root cause problem solving are
_________ and _________.
Kaizen and genchi genbutsu are the two concepts that relate to TPS’s approach towards root-
cause problem solving.
54. Which of the following terms refers to fool-proofing an operation to avoid the recurrence of
defects?
8-15
Copyright © 2016 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent
of McGraw-Hill Education.
A. Poka-yoke
B. Automation
C. Heijunka
D. Andon
Poka-yoke refers to fool-proofing an operation to avoid the recurrence of defects.
AACSB: Analytical Thinking
Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation
Blooms: Remember
Difficulty: 1 Easy
Learning Objective: 08-06 Compute takt time and determine a level production schedule.
Topic: TPS Pillar 2: Expose Problems and Solve Them When They Occur: Detect-Stop-Alert (Jidoka)
55. Which of the following statements about Toyota production system is TRUE?
A. An Andon cord that is rarely pulled is a good indicator of success of TPS implementation.
B. Implementing TPS amounts to selecting the right lean tools to use.
C. TPS is only relevant for manufacturing operations.
D. All dimensions of TPS need to be adopted by an organization in order to get the full benefits
of lean.
To get the full benefits of TPS, the entire organization needs to embrace all dimensions of TPS.AACSB:
Analytical Thinking
Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation
Blooms: Remember
Difficulty: 1 Easy
Learning Objective: 08-06 Compute takt time and determine a level production schedule.
Topic: TPS Pillar 2: Expose Problems and Solve Them When They Occur: Detect-Stop-Alert (Jidoka)
56. What is the relationship between the number of Kanban cards in a process and the inventory
level?
A. There is no more inventory in the process than was authorized via Kanban cards.
B. The inventory of the process grows with the square root of the number of Kanban cards.
C. The inventory of the process is reduced by adding more Kanban cards.
D. There is no relationship between the two.
The main advantage of a Kanban system is that there can never be more inventory between two resources
than what has been authorized by the Kanban cards.
AACSB: Reflective Thinking
Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation
Blooms: Understand
Difficulty: 2 Medium
Learning Objective: 08-05 Explain the concepts of single-unit flow, pull, kanban, and just-in-time and be able to compute the appropriate
number of kanban cards.
Topic: TPS Pillar 1: Single-Unit Flow and Just-in-Time Production
8-16
Copyright © 2016 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent
of McGraw-Hill Education.
Jidoka is the Japanese term used in the Toyota Production System to mean automation with a human
touch. The concept has been generalized to include any mechanism that stops production in response to
quality problems.
AACSB: Reflective Thinking
Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation
Blooms: Understand
Difficulty: 2 Medium
Learning Objective: 08-06 Compute takt time and determine a level production schedule.
Topic: TPS Pillar 2: Expose Problems and Solve Them When They Occur: Detect-Stop-Alert (Jidoka)
8-17
Copyright © 2016 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent
of McGraw-Hill Education.
Another random document with
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had been greatly aggravated by his dissolute habits, the doctor
declaring that his organs were those of a man ten years his senior.
One would have predicted that a man of his type would have left
his daughter absolutely penniless. Fortunately, this was not the case.
At a very early age he had taken out a life-policy for fifteen hundred
pounds, the premium being very low. To his credit, be it said, he had
strained every nerve to keep it up, even knocking off his drink when
the time approached for payment.
Under the guidance of her friend, who was a very shrewd young
woman of business, Miss Larchester invested this capital sum
judiciously; the interest would keep her from absolute starvation.
With the exception of Alma Buckley she had nobody to whom she
could turn for advice or assistance. Her father had been a member of
a highly respectable family, with members in the professions of the
Church, the Army, and the Law, but they had early parted company
with the dissolute artist, and had never seen either his wife or child.
Her mother had been a country girl, the daughter of a small village
shopkeeper whom Larchester had met in his wanderings in search of
the picturesque, and fallen in love with. Of that mother’s kith and kin
she knew nothing.
Miss Buckley, just beginning to feel her feet upon the music-hall
stage about this period, had taken a cosy little flat in the
neighbourhood of Southampton Row; it was handy for the halls, her
connection being in London, only entailing a moderate cab fare to
and from her home.
She insisted that, as there was plenty of room for two, Miss
Larchester should take up her abode with her, saying that it was a bit
lonesome in the day time, and she would be glad of a companion.
Although pretty keen in business matters, in private life she was very
generous, and she would not allow Lettice to contribute a farthing
towards the rent, and herself bore the greater share of the
housekeeping, being very fond of good living and not averse from
occasional stimulant of an expensive kind such as champagne and
old brandy.
Mrs. Morrice dwelt fully, but not unkindly, on this weakness of her
generous friend, for to this unfortunate propensity was due the
beginning of her own tragedy.
For some time before the death of the dissolute artist, his daughter
had taken up painting under his tuition and attained some little
proficiency in it, enough to enable her to supplement her tiny income
with here and there a commission from one of Larchester’s old
patrons, and occasional work in the lower branches of art.
Needless to say that, although this was better than nothing and
relieved her from the intolerable ennui of idleness, it did not satisfy a
girl who was fond of pleasure and all the amenities that money could
bring, and at heart of an ambitious nature.
Like many other girls of poor position and no particular talent, she
looked forward to a judicious marriage to give her what she wanted,
to justify her aspirations. The future was precarious. Alma Buckley
was a good enough friend now, but any day she herself might marry,
and then Lettice might no longer find herself a welcome inmate in a
changed establishment.
But opportunity was a long time coming. Alma was a jolly, genial
soul, with a great genius for friendship, and she soon gathered round
her a goodly circle of acquaintances, nearly all members of her own
profession. Truth to tell, there was not much refinement amongst the
men and women who frequented the little flat, and Miss Larchester,
due, no doubt, to the good blood on her father’s side, was rather
fastidious. She wanted a man who was not only well-off, but also a
gentleman in manners and appearance.
Her friend used to rally her upon what she considered her high-
flown notions. “No use waiting for the impossible, my dear,” she said
to her, with her loud, jolly laugh. “The Prince Charming you are
sighing for won’t make his way to our flat. Get hold of the first chap
who takes you seriously, after satisfying yourself he’s making plenty
of money. Never mind if he doesn’t come up quite to your standard in
certain things. You can try the polishing process on him after you’re
married, and as likely as not you’ll make a good job of it.”
But these accommodating views did not recommend themselves
to a girl of refinement. She thought the profession her friend had
adopted was at best a very precarious one, and the type of male
artist she came across rather repelled than attracted her. It was
different, of course, with Alma Buckley. She came from humble stock
and was naturally at home amongst her own class, she discovered
nothing to find fault with in the manners or appearance of the men
who frequented her flat, sang comic songs, made broad jokes, and
often indulged in more stimulant than was good for them.
And then suddenly Prince Charming made his appearance, and
Miss Buckley was constrained to admit that he appeared to be “quite
the gentleman,” and was distinctly on a higher social plane than the
persons at whom Lettice turned up her fastidious nose.
The meeting happened this way. Miss Buckley had been working
very hard for some time, doing two halls a night at a considerable
distance from each other, and incidentally making a considerable
sum of money. When the engagements came to an end she felt
fagged and run down, and on consulting a doctor, he prescribed a
month’s holiday.
The idea pleased her and she could well afford it. Very soon she
made her plans, and with her usual generosity, included her friend in
them.
“We’ll go to dear old Paris,” she announced, “and we’ll stop there
not a minute less than four weeks; if we’re enjoying ourselves very
much, I don’t say we won’t put in an extra week. Better than going to
the seaside; what we want is a complete change. ‘Gay Paree’ will
give it us.”
On board the boat Alma got into conversation with a very elegant
young man whose name she afterwards discovered to be the high-
sounding one of Darcy. He was quite good-looking, possessed a
pleasant well-bred voice, and was attired in costume appropriate to
travel of a most fashionable cut. Miss Buckley did most of the talking,
but she could see that this aristocratic young man was greatly
attracted by Lettice, and that Lettice appeared equally attracted by
him.
“I really think this is Prince Charming,” she took an opportunity of
whispering to her friend. “And, my dear, there’s a look of money
about him. Did you notice that lovely emerald pin? It’s worth no end.”
The elegant young man devoted himself to the two girls during the
short crossing to Boulogne, his glances ever resting admiringly upon
Miss Larchester. He found seats for them in the train to Paris, and
travelled with them in the same carriage. He talked pleasantly about
his travels; there did not seem to be a city in Europe that he had not
visited.
When they were nearing their journey’s end, he inquired where
they were going to put up. Miss Buckley, who had promised herself a
good time, no matter what it cost, replied that they had selected the
Hôtel Terminus; it was convenient for everything.
Mr. Darcy approved their choice. “You couldn’t do better,” he said
in his well-bred, slightly languid voice, the cultivated tones of which
appealed strongly to Miss Larchester. “’Pon my word, I think I might
as well stay there myself. If you don’t want to see too much of me,”
he added with his charming smile, “you’ve only got to give me a hint.
I shan’t intrude.”
“You won’t intrude,” said Miss Buckley with her usual
downrightness. “We shall look upon you as rather a godsend.
Neither of us has been to Paris before; it’ll be awfully good of you to
show us the ropes.”
Darcy replied cordially that it would afford him the greatest
pleasure to show them “the ropes,” as the young lady so elegantly
put it. When he was asked where he usually stayed, he named half a
dozen of the most select hotels, with each one of which he appeared
intimately acquainted.
The music-hall artist, who had picked up more knowledge of things
than her friend, recognized one of them as patronized by Royalty.
She was much impressed. She was greatly addicted to slang, living
in an atmosphere of it, and she expressed her opinions freely to
Lettice later on.
“We’ve struck it rich this time, you bet your life,” she said in her
picturesque vernacular. “I’ve seen a few ‘toffs’ at the halls, but he
beats ’em hollow. He’s ‘the goods,’ and no mistake.”
Miss Larchester had drawn the same conclusions, which she
would naturally have expressed in different language.
Things went swimmingly. They had all their meals together at a
table reserved for them by an obsequious waiter. Mr. Darcy showed
them all the sights, Notre-Dame, the Louvre, the Bois de Boulogne,
the Bourse; he took them to Versailles and Fontainebleau; he
accompanied them to the music halls and the theatres where they
were a bit bored, as they knew very little of the French language.
He spent money like water. Alma, who was no sponger, had begun
by offering her share of the expenses, but Darcy would not hear of it.
“No lady pays when she is in the company of a man,” he explained
with an air of finality.
Very soon he told them all about himself with an air of the most
engaging frankness. He was an only son; his father had died some
five years ago, leaving him a snug little fortune. “By that I don’t mean
that I am what would be called a rich man, just decently well off,”
was his comment on this particular announcement, “always sure of
comfort, now and then a few luxuries.”
On their side, the two girls were equally communicative. Alma
Buckley did not suffer from false shame. She made no attempt to
conceal her humble origin, she used no camouflage about the status
of the defunct builder, she frankly avowed her profession.
Miss Larchester told the truth about herself and her position,
letting her father down as lightly as possible. A man like Darcy could
not fail to see the difference between the two women, he said as
much to her one day when they were alone.
“Miss Buckley is an awfully good sort, one can see that with half
an eye,” he remarked.
“She is a darling,” cried Lettice enthusiastically, “and my only
friend in the world.”
Darcy took her hand in his own. “No, you must not say that. We
met in a very unconventional manner certainly, but that does not
matter as we know all about each other now. I hope you feel you
have another friend in me. But what I really wanted to say was this,
and, of course, you are as aware of it as I am. You are of quite a
different class from her.”
The acquaintance, begun casually on board the boat, ripened with
amazing rapidity into friendship, swiftly into love on the part of the
young man and also of Lettice Larchester.
Alma Buckley, who had no real experience of the world, although
perhaps she was just a little more sophisticated than her friend,
looked on approvingly. Darcy was a gentleman, a man of culture and
refinement, he had plenty of money. It would be an ideal match for
Lettice, and the girl was as much in love with him as he was with her.
The visit prolonged itself to six weeks instead of the four originally
contemplated, and at the end of that time Alma Buckley returned to
her flat alone. George Darcy and Lettice Larchester were married in
Paris, and started on their honeymoon the day before she left for
England.
CHAPTER XXVI
THE STORY CONTINUED