A NERVOUS LADY.
One of the numerous omnibuses running down Oxford Street deposited me
pretty near where I wanted to go; and, after alighting, I had no
difficulty in finding some one to direct me to the address I was in
search of. This proved, to my surprise, to be a small greengrocer's
shop, where one would certainly not expect that there would be any
demand for a governess. However, it was unmistakably the address that
had been given in the advertisement, so I edged my way in, past the
piles of earthy baskets by which the entrance was almost choked, and
spoke to the owner of the shop--a jolly-looking, burly, middle-aged
man.
"Excuse my troubling you," said I, politely, "but I've called in
consequence of an advertisement for a daily governess by A. G. in
yesterday's _Morning Post_. Is this the right place?" And as I spoke
it flashed across my mind whether perhaps the initials in the
advertisement represented the words "a greengrocer."
As soon as the man heard the object of my visit, his face twinkled
with amusement in a way that seemed to imply there must be some
capital joke connected with the affair. "Oh yes, Miss," he answered,
"this be the right place, sure enough! P'raps you b'ain't used to
greengrocers as rekvires daily-guvnesses vere you comes from--be you
now?"
The man looked so perfectly good-tempered that it was impossible to
take offence at his enjoyment of the unknown joke, and I laughed as I
replied, "No, I can't say that we do often have that happen."
"Ah, well, so I thought," he returned, chuckling. "And that just
brings us to the werry pint as 'as to be considered in this 'ere
bizness. That is--no offence my askin'--but vere _do_ you come from,
Miss?"
I told him the address of my lodging.
"'Ealthy districk, Miss, is it?" he enquired.
"Yes, as far as I know," replied I, feeling rather astonished at the
question, and reflecting that my assertion was a perfectly safe one,
seeing that I knew nothing whatever about the matter.
"Any illness in the 'ouse, Miss?" he continued, holding
up his fingers and checking off on them the name of each
successive disease as he enumerated it; "any fivver, diptheery,
coleera, measles, mumps, small-pox, chicking-pox, 'oopin'-corf,
nettle-rash--that's only nine; there's a tenth as I was to ax
about, I knows; what the juice was it now? Oh yes! the one as is a
flower and a colour--yaller-rose--rose-yaller! Dashed if I can say
it right."
"Is roseola the word you want?" I suggested.
"_That's_ it, Miss, thanky!" he exclaimed joyfully, but without
venturing on a second attempt at pronouncing the word; "now, be there
any of these 'ere as I've mentioned at the 'ouse vere you're livin'?
or any other infexshus complaint as I 'aven't mentioned, as p'raps
may be some bran new invention of the doctors since the old list was
made out?"
I had never thought of making any inquiries of the kind at my
lodging, so I answered "no" boldly. Even if there were any illness,
at all events I did not know of it, so my negative was obviously not
to be considered as wilfully misleading, whatever the state of
sanitary affairs might be. "Werry good," he returned; "then if you'll
be so good as go round the corner of the street over the vay, you'll
find yourself in Fairy Avenue, and at No. 114 you'll find A. G.,
that's to say, Mrs. Green. You see she's mortial afeard of what she
calls jurms, and's allers thinking as strange people's sure to have
'em in their pockets or their clothes, or some-veres about 'em, ready
to turn loose on whoever they meets. So when she adwertizes for a
guvness or a servant, she mostly axes me to let 'em come 'ere fust,
that I may make sure as they don't come from no infexshus place afore
they goes to 'er 'ouse. Did you ever 'ear of sitch a ridiklus fancy
'afore in all your born days? It makes me fit to split with larfin
sometimes. But there! it ain't but werry little trouble to me, and I
don't mind oblidgin' a good customer like 'er, as takes a sight of
wedgebuttles and fruits and sitch things. 'I considers 'em pertickler
'olesome artikles of dite,' sez she to me often. 'So do I too, mum,'
sez I back to 'er. And good reason vy I _should_ inkcourage the
notion, seein' as she buys 'em all from me!"
Thanking the man for his information, and feeling that I had gained
an insight into Mrs. Green's character which might come useful to me
in my dealings with her, I proceeded to 114 Fairy Avenue. On ringing
the bell and saying that I had come about the governess' situation, I
was requested to wait in the hall, whilst the servant went to see if
Mrs. Green was disengaged.
It was very evident that that lady took care no one should enter her
doors without undergoing some amount of fumigation, as in the middle
of the hall there stood a sort of small brazier, wherein some kind of
disinfecting compound was smouldering, and sending out light curls of
smoke which impregnated the air with a sickly smell. By the odour of
this smoke, combined with that of carbolic acid, the whole house was
pervaded, as the floors were scrubbed with carbolic soap twice a week
regularly, and carbolic acid was freely applied to whatever incoming
thing could, by any stretch of imagination, be regarded as a possible
medium for the introduction of those "germs of disease" which Mrs.
Green held in horror. In the efficacy of any inodorous disinfectant
she had no belief at all. How, she would say, could stuff that was
not strong enough to be perceptible to the nose be strong enough to
be relied on to purify the atmosphere, and affect any germs that
might be floating about in it? Don't tell _her_ to use a thing like
Cordy's fluid, that had not any smell at all! No, give her carbolic
acid or chloride of lime, which made difference enough in the air for
one's nose to take cognisance of--then there could be no mistake
about their presence, and one could feel satisfied.
She did not admit in to her room till she had sent the servant back
to inquire whether I had been to the greengrocer's and been forwarded
to her by him. My answer being satisfactory, I was ushered into her
sitting-room and invited to take a seat near the door, and a good way
off from herself. We then proceeded to talk business, and I found
that she wanted a governess to come every morning to instruct and
take charge of her little girl of ten years old, and that the amount
of knowledge necessary to satisfy her demands was not beyond the
limits of my acquirements. Having discovered this much I lost no time
in asking what salary she gave, for I did not want her to anticipate
this question by asking me how much I expected to receive, as the
fact was that I had not an idea of what daily governesses were
generally paid, and feared exposing my ignorance. The terms she
offered were so far beyond what I had thought likely, that I was
delighted, and at once determined not to let slip the situation if
I could help it. Consequently I became very anxious to ingratiate
myself with her, and looked out for an opportunity of doing so by
manifesting sympathy with the dread of infection which I knew to be a
weak point of hers. For if people have any specially absurd craze,
they are sure to regard an indication of the same mania on the part
of another person as a strong recommendation and reason for thinking
well of that person. I had not long to wait for the opportunity I
desired, as she said; "There is one thing I must tell you, Miss Jill,
and that is, that I insist upon every member of my establishment,
without exception, conforming to the regulations I make in order to
guard against the introduction of infection to the house. Should you
be prepared to do this?"
"Most certainly," I replied, though in truth I had no intention
of troubling my head about the matter more than I had done
heretofore--that is to say, not at all. "I shall be only too glad to
do so. For I must confess that on that point I am what some people
call quite foolishly nervous."
"It is _impossible_ to be too nervous about it," she returned, "and I
am glad to find that you have a proper appreciation of the necessity
of a carefulness which is a duty no less to society than to one's
self and one's family. A fresh case of illness means the setting up
of a fresh manufactory of horrible, insidious, deadly germs of
disease, which, once set going in the world, cannot be recalled, and
can only with difficulty be destroyed. How many deaths might not be
caused by germs made in and issuing from this house, if we were to
have some infectious illness here? And if the illness had been
admitted through any negligence of mine, should not I be responsible
for all of those deaths?"
"Quite true," answered I, gravely. "I never was struck by that
before, but I see how unanswerably correct your reasoning is. How I
wish that every one else had an equally sensitive conscience!"
"Yes, it is indeed sad," she replied, sighing, "to see what an amount
of culpable carelessness and foolhardiness exists in the world! I do
my best to make these things appear in their true light, but it is
not often that I can succeed in inspiring my own spirit of prudence
into any one else. I assure you that I have even heard of my
precautions being laughed at and called ridiculous."
I kept my countenance heroically; and as she paused, as though
expecting me to make some remark, I exclaimed, "It seems hardly
credible!"
"So one would have thought," she returned sadly, "and especially in
the face of the outbreak of scarlet fever which has recently occurred
in so many parts of London, and which every one must have read of in
the papers. However, to return to business. Will you kindly let me
have the address of your last situation? Should the answer to my
inquiries there prove satisfactory, I shall be glad to engage you,
as, from what I have seen of you, I have every reason to think you
will suit me."
Now, of course, I had foreseen that no one would be likely to engage
me without knowing (or supposing themselves to know, which would come
to the same thing) something about who I was, and I foresaw also that
it might be against me not to be able to give the name of any one who
could be inquired of about me, either personally or by letter. To
meet this difficulty I had concocted a story which would, I hoped, be
accepted as a sufficient explanation of the matter. But I had never
dreamt of any one's being so absurdly afraid of infection as Mrs.
Green was; and the discovery of her foible inspired me with the
brilliant idea of offering her a personal reference which she would
be certain not to avail herself of.
I replied, therefore, that as I had been a little out of sorts I had
been living quietly at home for the last six months, in order to
regain my health, and that I had been previously teaching in the
family of Mr. Thomson--mentioning the name of a clergyman in the east
of London whose parish I remembered having read about not long before
in a newspaper as being pretty nearly decimated by scarlet fever.
This gentleman, I said, had been most kind to me, having not only
given me a written testimonial to character, but also promised that
he would at any time write to, or see, any person on my behalf. I
only hoped, I put in parenthetically, that he was not overworking
himself in the terrible visitation of scarlet fever that had lately
come upon his parish; but he was such an excellent man, and so
indefatigable in his labours amongst the poor, that I feared it was
but too likely he would sacrifice himself to them. If anything should
happen to him I should feel I had lost one of my best friends. But,
however busy he might be, I felt sure he would keep his promise, and
would certainly find time to answer any inquiries that Mrs. Green
might wish to make about me, whether in person or by post.
She, however, would as soon have thought of walking into a blazing
furnace as into Mr. Thomson's parish in its then condition, and, as
I expected, thought epistolary communication with him was but little
less perilous.
"Ahem!" she answered, "I am afraid Mr. Thomson is not a very easy
person to refer to just at present, and I do not quite see how it is
to be managed. I could not _think_ of going to see him, and I am
doubtful that it would be prudent to write to him either, especially
since he is so devoted to his parishioners, as you say. Men of that
kind are almost invariably careless about proper precautions. Perhaps
he would write me an answer when actually in a sick-room; and then
imagine how that letter, full of contagion, would be mixed in the
post with other letters, impart to them its fatal properties, and
thus scatter sickness and, perhaps, death far and wide! No, never
will _I_ wilfully run the risk of causing disasters in this way,
whatever other people may do."
"I have the testimonial he wrote me at the time I discontinued
teaching in his family, if you would think that sufficient, madam," I
replied, beginning to fumble in my pocket as though in search of the
document in question. Of course I had no such thing about me in
reality, but I knew that I could easily pretend to have forgotten it,
and then write a sham one and send it by post.
She raised her hand hastily to check my producing the paper. "Wait
one moment," she cried, looking somewhat uneasy. "How long is it
since the testimonial was written?"
"Just six months ago," answered I.
"Was there any fever or infectious illness in the parish at that
time?" she inquired.
"Not that I am aware of," I returned.
"Still it might have been there without your knowledge, might it
not?" she continued.
I allowed that this was not impossible, but added that I did not
believe the district to have been at all unhealthy then.
"What makes me anxious for certainty about this," she said, "is,
that supposing Mr. Thomson had visited some sick person just before
writing your testimonial, he would have probably had germs of
disease clinging to him; and those germs, being communicated to the
writing-paper, would be lingering there still, and be a source of
peril to whoever comes in contact with that piece of paper. Possibly,
however, you have taken the precaution of disinfecting it by
fumigation, or in some other way?"
"No, I have not," I answered; "I am ashamed to say that I did not
think of it--a most reprehensible omission on my part!"
"Ah, well," she replied, with an air of indulgence, "it was an
oversight, no doubt; but then you are still very young, and one can
hardly expect young people to be as thoughtful as old ones. But we
will remedy the omission at once. There is some disinfecting powder
in that square box on the table beside you. I shall be obliged if you
will sprinkle it thoroughly over the paper before giving it me to
read."
I recommenced feeling in my pocket, and then exclaimed, "Oh how very
stupid of me! I made sure that I had brought that testimonial with
me, but I must have left it on my table, as I find I have not got it
after all. Will you allow me to post it to you as soon as I get home?
Should you think it satisfactory, and write me word when you wish me
to commence my duties, I will come at whatever time you appoint."
The look of relief that came over her face on hearing that I had not
got the testimonial showed me that she regarded it with considerable
distrust, and was not greatly desirous of touching it.
"Yes, you can post it to me as you propose," she said; "and I will
let you know my decision by letter also. Of course you will disinfect
the paper carefully before sending it. I shall be glad if you will
take some of this powder for the purpose, as it is a disinfectant on
which I can rely thoroughly, and has so strong a smell that if you
were to forget to use it, my nose would immediately inform me of that
fact, and I should be thus warned against opening the paper. By the
by, in the event of my engaging you, should you be likely to continue
the engagement for any length of time? or to break it off again
shortly? My reason for asking is, that I am most averse to constant
changes in my establishment, because that means constant fresh risk
of infection from strangers; and therefore I prefer not entering into
an engagement with any one who likes to be perpetually moving about
from place to place."
It will be remembered that my intention was merely to take a
governess's place temporarily, to eke out my means till I had learnt
hairdressing and could get a travelling-maid's situation. But I
really did not see that she had a right to expect me to confide all
my private little schemes to her, so I said nothing about this, and
only assured her that I had a horror of perpetual changes, and that
a permanent situation was exactly what I was hoping to find.
"There is one thing more that I forgot to mention," she continued.
"I should object to your making use of an omnibus or train-car in
coming to give my daughter her daily lessons. I consider public
conveyances of that kind most unsafe, on account of their liability
to contain germs of disease left by some one or other of the great
variety of passengers who travel in them."
"I quite agree with you," I answered, "and hardly ever go in one of
those conveyances on that account. I should hope to come here on foot
as a rule; and if the weather should make that impossible, I should
take a hansom, as being the least dangerous vehicle available."
I felt I was pretty safe in making this promise, though I meant to
come by omnibus all the same. There was not much chance of her
inspecting the passengers in the numerous omnibuses running down
Oxford Street and the Bayswater Road; and they did not pass up Fairy
Avenue, so I should have no choice about walking the last part of my
journey. Thus she would see me arrive daily on foot; her mind would
be at ease; I should be perfectly free to use the convenient omnibus
as much as I chose; and so we should both be happy.
Everything being settled, I took leave of her, and had reached the
door of the room to go, when she spoke again. "On the whole, Miss
Jill," she said, "I do not think I need trouble you to send me that
testimonial. From what I have seen of you, I have very little doubt
that we shall suit each other; and I feel satisfied to engage you at
once, as the peculiar circumstances of the case render it impossible
to hold any communication with the person who is your reference. Can
you begin the lessons to-morrow morning at nine o'clock?"
"Certainly, madam," I replied; "you may depend upon my being here
then, and I am much obliged to you."
Who would have thought that a letter six months old could have
inspired her with so much fear as to induce her to dispense with
every shadow of precaution about ascertaining the character of an
individual to whose care she was willing to commit her child?
Marvelling greatly at her folly, and congratulating myself on my
success, I returned to my lodging, where I found that the little girl
of whom I had bought the flowers, had duly left them for me. It was
more than I had expected her to do, certainly; and the only way I
could account for such astonishing honesty was by supposing that no
one else had wanted to buy them, so that there had been no temptation
to her to break her promise and defraud me of my nosegay. But I
believe I judged her with too much cynicism; for, long afterwards,
she proved that she had been really grateful for the breakfast I had
given her, and was anxious to show her gratitude in deeds.