Sophie stretched out her hand, and gave a momentary clasp to Claire’s fingers.
“You are a good soul! Fancy offering that to a stranger like me! It’s noble of you, my dear. Perfectly sweet! I’m awfully grateful, but it’s absolutely impossible that I could accept. When could I pay you back? I’ve never been able to save, but I have kept out of debt, and it would worry me to death to have ten pounds hanging round my neck. Besides, we shouldn’t be any further. At the end of the six weeks I should either be better, in which case he would certainly want me to go on; or worse, when I should have to try something else! You don’t propose that I should go on borrowing from you at the rate of one or two guineas a week?”
“I—I’m afraid I haven’t got it to give.”
“Very well, then—there you are! What’s the good of beginning at all?”
Claire put her hands over her face and thought with that intense and selfless thought which is as a prayer for help. The future seemed dark indeed, and the feeling of helplessness was hard to bear. Two lonely girls, with no one to help, and so much help that was needed! Here was indeed the time for prayer.
“Sophie, it’s horribly difficult; we can’t see ahead. We can only ‘do the next thing.’ It is your duty to take this cure now, and the way has opened for that. When we’ve come to the end of the six weeks, it may open again. You said you have trust in God. It’s no use talking generalities, if you are not prepared to put your faith into practice. The question for to-day is, Can you trust Him for the beginning of May?”
Sophie smiled.
“I like that! That’s a nice way of putting it. Yes, I can; but, Claire (I must call you Claire, you are such a dear!), I wish it didn’t mean borrowing other people’s money! It will be years before I can pay you back. It may be that I can never do it.”
“I would have said ‘give,’ but I was afraid it would hurt your pride. My stepfather gave me some money to buy jewellery for a wedding present, and as a pure matter of selfishness I’d get more pleasure out of helping you than out of a stupid brooch. And listen, Sophie, listen! I’m going to explain.—I chose to take up teaching because I wanted to be independent, and I knew my mother would be happier without me during the first years of her marriage; but she is devoted to me, and I know in time she will crave to have me back. She isn’t strong, and she finds the Indian climate trying, so very likely she may need my help. I shall never be sorry that I came to London, for work is a splendid experience, and I am glad to have it; but I have never the feeling that it is going to last. Mother comes first, and my stepfather is quite well-off, and can afford to keep me; so if I were needed, I should not feel that I was sacrificing my independence in letting him do it. So you see I am not quite in the same position as the other mistresses, and money is not of the same importance. If you were in my place, Sophie, would you hesitate to lend me a ten-pound note?”
“Guineas, please!” cried Sophie, laughing to hide her tears. “All right, my dear, all right! I give in. I lie down. You’ve beaten me. I’ve nothing more to say. I’ll take the horrid old injections, and pay for them with your money, and—and—I think I’ll go to bed now, please! I’ve had about as much as I can bear for one short day!”