"He! I know that," he said.
It so happened that that very morning she saw on the notice-board of the library an announcement that the Borough Council wished to engage the services of an experienced maternity nurse, applications to be made to the medical board. Alvina wrote down the directions.
Ciccio watched her.
"What is a maternity nurse?" he said.
"An _accoucheuse_!" she said. "The nurse who attends when babies are born."
"Do you know how to do that?" he said, incredulous, and jeering slightly.
"I was trained to do it," she said.
He said no more, but walked by her side as she returned to the lodgings. As they drew near the lodgings, he said:
"You don"t want to stop with us any more?"
"I can"t," she said.
He made a slight, mocking gesture.
""I can"t,"" he repeated. "Why do you always say you can"t?"
"Because I can"t," she said.
"Pff--!" he went, with a whistling sound of contempt.
But she went indoors to her room. Fortunately, when she had finally cleared her things from Manchester House, she had brought with her her nurse"s certificate, and recommendations from doctors. She wrote out her application, took the tram to the Town Hall and dropped it in the letterbox there. Then she wired home to her doctor for another reference. After which she went to the library and got out a book on her subject. If summoned, she would have to go before the medical board on Monday. She had a week. She read and pondered hard, recalling all her previous experience and knowledge.
She wondered if she ought to appear before the board in uniform. Her nurse"s dresses were packed in her trunk at Mrs. Slaney"s, in Woodhouse. It was now May. The whole business at Woodhouse was finished. Manchester House and all the furniture was sold to some boot-and-shoe people: at least the boot-and-shoe people had the house. They had given four thousand pounds for it--which was above the lawyer"s estimate. On the other hand, the theatre was sold for almost nothing. It all worked out that some thirty-three pounds, which the creditors made up to fifty pounds, remained for Alvina.
She insisted on Miss Pinnegar"s having half of this. And so that was all over. Miss Pinnegar was already in Tamworth, and her little shop would be opened next week. She wrote happily and excitedly about it.
Sometimes fate acts swiftly and without a hitch. On Thursday Alvina received her notice that she was to appear before the Board on the following Monday. And yet she could not bring herself to speak of it to Madame till the Sat.u.r.day evening. When they were all at supper, she said:
"Madame, I applied for a post of maternity nurse, to the Borough of Lancaster."
Madame raised her eyebrows. Ciccio had said nothing.
"Oh really! You never told me."
"I thought it would be no use if it all came to nothing. They want me to go and see them on Monday, and then they will decide--"
"Really! Do they! On Monday? And then if you get this work you will stay here? Yes?"
"Yes, of course."
"Of course! Of course! Yes! H"m! And if not?"
The two women looked at each other.
"What?" said Alvina.
"If you _don"t_ get it--! You are not _sure_?"
"No," said Alvina. "I am not a bit sure."
"Well then--! Now! And if you don"t get it--?"
"What shall I do, you mean?"
"Yes, what shall you do?"
"I don"t know."
"How! you don"t know! Shall you come back to us, then?"
"I will if you like--"
"If I like! If _I_ like! Come, it is not a question of if _I_ like.
It is what do you want to do yourself."
"I feel you don"t want me very badly," said Alvina.
"Why? Why do you feel? Who makes you? Which of us makes you feel so?
Tell me."
"n.o.body in particular. But I feel it."
"Oh we-ell! If n.o.body makes you, and yet you feel it, it must be in yourself, don"t you see? Eh? Isn"t it so?"
"Perhaps it is," admitted Alvina.
"We-ell then! We-ell--" So Madame gave her her conge. "But if you like to come back--if you _laike_--then--" Madame shrugged her shoulders--"you must come, I suppose."
"Thank you," said Alvina.
The young men were watching. They seemed indifferent. Ciccio turned aside, with his faint, stupid smile.
In the morning Madame gave Alvina all her belongings, from the little safe she called her bank.
"There is the money--so--and so--and so--that is correct. Please count it once more!--" Alvina counted it and kept it clutched in her hand. "And there are your rings, and your chain, and your locket--see--all--everything--! But not the brooch. Where is the brooch? Here! Shall I give it back, hein?"
"I gave it to you," said Alvina, offended. She looked into Madame"s black eyes. Madame dropped her eyes.
"Yes, you gave it. But I thought, you see, as you have now not much mo-oney, perhaps you would like to take it again--"
"No, thank you," said Alvina, and she went away, leaving Madame with the red brooch in her plump hand.
"Thank goodness I"ve given her something valuable," thought Alvina to herself, as she went trembling to her room.