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 M