onday. And yet she could not bring herself to speak of it
to Madame till the Saturday 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."

"Nobody in particular. But I feel it."

"Oh we-ell! If nobody 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'