Part 8 (1/2)

”That she regrets she is unable to offer you anything at present, but if, at any time, you would take a clerks.h.i.+p in one of the companies in which her husband is interested, they might be able to provide you with a berth,” replied Annie.

”Oh!” said Mavis shortly.

”She has also sent me a postal order for your fare,” continued Annie.

Mavis made no reply.

The two old maids glanced significantly at one another; presently, Annie Mee was emboldened to ask:

”Do you think you would like to earn your living in the manner indicated?”

”I have decided not to,” replied Mavis shortly.

”Of course, if you would prefer to stay with us,” began Miss Helen.

”If you have no objection, I will leave for good tomorrow morning,”

said Mavis.

”Leave for good!” cried the two old ladies together, who, now that they believed Mavis to be going, were dismayed at the prospect of living without her.

”It will be better for all of us,” remarked Mavis.

”But have you anything in view, dear?” asked Miss Annie.

”Nothing very definite. But I've every hope of being settled in a day or two.”

The two old ladies heaved a sigh of relief; for all their affection for the girl, they found that her healthy appet.i.te made serious inroads into the meager profits of the college. After breakfast, Mavis went upstairs for her hat. She opened the drawers at the base of her old-fas.h.i.+oned looking-gla.s.s and counted up her possessions. These amounted to seven pounds, thirteen s.h.i.+llings and sevenpence halfpenny; in addition to which, there was a quarter's salary of four pounds ten s.h.i.+llings due to her; also, there was her fare which Mrs. Devitt had sent, a sum which she was undecided whether or not to accept. At any other time, Mavis would have thought that this money would have been ample provision with which to start life; but her one time ignorance on this matter had been rudely dissipated by her fruitless search after employment, when she had first decided to leave Brandenburg College.

Beyond her little store of ready money, she owned a few trinkets which, at the worst, she could sell for a little; but this was a contingency on which she would not allow her mind to dwell just now. One or two things she was determined not to part with; these were her mother's wedding ring, a locket containing a piece of her father's hair, and a bracelet which he had given her. The two old ladies would be leaving for Worthing on the morrow; Amelia was going to Southend-on-Sea for a fortnight. As Mavis had resolved to sever her long connection with the college, it was necessary for her to seek lodging elsewhere.

A few minutes later, she set out upon this wearisome quest: she had never looked for London lodgings before. Although nearly every window in the less frequented streets displayed a card announcing that apartments were to let, she soon discovered how difficult it was to get anything remotely approaching her simple needs. She required a small bedroom in a house where there was a bathroom; also, if possible, she wanted the use of a sitting-room with a pa.s.sable piano on which she sought permission to give lessons to any pupils whom she might be successful in getting.

Most of the doors she knocked at were answered by dirty children or by dirtier women; these, instinctively, told Mavis that she would get neither cleanliness nor comfort in a house frequented by such folk.

When confronted with these, she would make some excuse for knocking at the door, and, after walking on a few yards, would attack the knocker of another house, when, more likely than not, the door would be opened by an even more slatternly person than before. Now and again she would light upon a likely place, but it soon appeared to Mavis that good landladies knew their value and made charges which were prohibitive to the girl's slender resources.

Tired with running up and down so many steps and stairs, Mavis turned into a milk-shop to buy a bun and a gla.s.s of milk. She asked the kindly-faced woman who served her if she happened to know of anyone who let clean rooms at moderate charges. The woman wrote down two addresses, said that she would be comfortable at either of these, and told her the quickest way of getting to them. The first name was a Mrs Ellis, who lived at 20 Kiva Gardens. This address proved to be a neat, two-storied house, by the side of which was a road leading to stables and a yard. Mrs Ellis opened the door. Mavis, with a sense of elation, saw that she was a trim, elderly, kindly-looking body.

The girl explained what she wanted. She learned that there was a small bedroom at the back to let; also, that she could have the use of the downstairs sitting-room, in which was a piano.

”Would you very much mind if I had one or two pupils?” asked Mavis.

”Not a bit, miss. I like young people myself, and look on music as company.”

”I'd like to see the bedroom.”

Mrs Ellis took Mavis upstairs, where the girl was delighted to find that the room was pleasant-looking and scrupulously clean.

”It's only a question of terms,” said Mavis hesitatingly.

”You'd better see the sitting-room and try the piano, miss, before you decide,” remarked Mrs Ellis.