ngs did.

She directed her wrathful steps straight to Scheele, the magistrate's
house: they had four children, and were looking for a nurse. They were
the Consul's most intimate friends, where she would only need to present
herself, and they would jump at the opportunity. How often the
magistrate's wife had praised her management, and talked condescendingly
to her, when they had dined at the Veyergangs on Sundays! She had more
than once thought Mrs. Veyergang fortunate in having such a treasure in
the house, and sighed over her own inability to find just such another.

But--how unfortunate it was--Mrs. Scheele was extremely sorry--they had
just engaged another nurse!

"Fancy!" exclaimed Mrs. Scheele, when her husband came down from his
office, "there is a revolution at the Veyergangs', and that high and
mighty Nurse Barbara has got her dismissal. She has been here and
offered herself to us. I wouldn't have that pampered creature at any
price!"

Barbara walked a long way that day and to the best houses. On a large
sheet of paper, folded in three, she had the Consul-General's long and
excellent testimonial to exhibit; moreover she was fully conscious of
the extent to which she was known. But though she stood so large and
erect and smart at the door, and comported herself so well, there was no
one who could make any use of her!

And late in the evening, later than was needful, as she did not wish to
show herself, she came home again, disappointed and weary.

It really seemed as if all the celebrity she had acquired during all
these years, all her fidelity, all her prestige as nurse at the
Veyergangs, was to vanish at one stroke into thin air!

Deeply hurt as she was after her unlucky expedition, it was remarkable
that no one in the house asked her how she had got on--though there were
plenty of mischievous glances from her fellow-servants, whose standing
with their mistress had depended for so many years upon her. And
whenever she tried to broach the subject with Mrs. Veyergang, the latter
always turned the conversation--indeed, once she even dismissed the
subject, saying that Barbara must know that she never meddled with such
things.

But the kindness increased as the day of her departure approached.
Barbara began to perceive how this screw of kindness, that turned so
gently, was screwing her farther and farther out of the house. The
Consul had Nikolai placed on trial as apprentice in a smithy down by the
crane,