s can make life.

Therefore, she could not decide in a hurry. But she bore poor Dr.
Mitchell a deep grudge, that he could not grant her all the
advantages of his offer, and excuse her the acceptance of him
himself. She dared not decide in a hurry. And this very fear, like a
yoke on her, made her resent the man who drove her to decision.

Sometimes she rebelled. Sometimes she laughed unpleasantly in the
man's face: though she dared not go _too_ far: for she was a little
afraid of him and his rabid temper, also. In her moments of sullen
rebellion she thought of Natcha-Kee-Tawara. She thought of them
deeply. She wondered where they were, what they were doing, how the
war had affected them. Poor Geoffrey was a Frenchman--he would have
to go to France to fight. Max and Louis were Swiss, it would not
affect them: nor Ciccio, who was Italian. She wondered if the troupe
was in England: if they would continue together when Geoffrey was
gone. She wondered if they thought of her. She felt they did. She
felt they did not forget her. She felt there was a connection.

In fact, during the latter part of August she wondered a good deal
more about the Natchas than about Dr. Mitchell. But wondering about
the Natchas would not help her. She felt, if she knew where they
were, she would fly to them. But then she knew she wouldn't.

When she was at the station she saw crowds and bustle. People were
seeing their young men off. Beer was flowing: sailors on the train
were tipsy: women were holding young men by the lapel of the coat.
And when the train drew away, the young men waving, the women cried
aloud and sobbed after them.

A chill ran down Alvina's spine. This was another matter, apart from
her Dr. Mitchell. It made him feel very unreal, trivial. She did not
know what she was going to do. She realized she must do
something--take some part in the wild dislocation of life. She knew
that she would put off Dr. Mitchell again.

She talked the matter over with the matron. The matron advised her
to procrastinate. Why not volunteer for war-service? True, she was a
maternity nurse, and this was hardly the qualification needed for
the nursing of soldiers. But still, she _was_ a nurse.

Alvina felt this was the thing to do. Everywhere was a stir and a
seethe of excitement. Men were active, women were needed too. She
put down her name on the list of volunteers for active service. This
was on the last day of August.

On the first of Septembe