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The Pretty Lady by Arnold Bennett
page 268 of 323 (82%)
"But how did you obtain your passport? You had no certificate from
us?"

Nurse Smaith tossed her perilous red hair.

"Oh! No difficulty about that. I am not _without_ friends, as you may
say." Some of the committee looked up suspiciously, aware that the
matron had in her report hinted at mysterious relations between Nurse
Smaith and certain authorities. "The doctor in charge of the Serbian
unit was only too glad to have me. Of course, if you're going to
believe everything matron says--" Her tone was becoming coarser,
but the committee could neither turn her out nor cure her natural
coarseness, nor indicate to her that she was not using the demeanour
of committee-rooms. She was firmly lodged among them, and she went
from bad to worse. "Of course, if you're going to swallow everything
matron says--! It isn't as if I was the only one."

"May I ask if you are at present employed?"

"I don't _quite_ see what that's got to do with it," said Nurse
Smaith, still gaining ground.

"Certainly not. Nothing. Nothing at all. I was only hoping that these
visits here are not inconvenient to you."

"Well, as it seems so important, I _my_ sy I'm going out to Salonika
next week, and that's why I want this business settled." She stopped,
and as the committee remained diffidently and apprehensively silent,
she went on: "It isn't as if I was the only one. Why! When we were in
the retreat of the Serbian Army owver the mahntains I came across
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