Read Online Ruined City by Nevil Shute - Free Book Online
Authors: Nevil Shute
Tags: General Fiction
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Englishman. I was walking down to Hull. I might be able to pick up something there. Otherwise I was going on down to London.'
'Have you got any relations who could help you with this expense?'
He shook his head. 'I don't think so.'
'You must make good money when you're in a job.'
He said, 'I was making five pounds ten in England seven years ago, and over in America I was drawing two hundred a month. I don't want you to think I'm trying to dodge this expense. I'll be able to pay it off when I get work again. But I haven't got it now, I'm afraid.'
She looked at him searchingly. 'How much money have you got?'
'Less than a pound,' he said.
She smiled. 'We won't take arty of that if you've got to walk to Hull and London. But you must give me an address before you go, and I shall tell you what the treatment has cost the hospital. We shall want you to sign a note acknowledging that you owe the hospital that money. And then you must pay it off in instalments when you get a job.'
That's right,' said Warren . 'I'll do that.'
Her pencil poised above the pad. 'How much a week will you be able to pay?'
'If I get a job at five pounds a week or more, I could manage ten bob.'
She calculated for a moment. 'That would do.' She smiled at him. 'All right, Mr Warren — we'll leave it at that for the time being. I shall want you to sign that note before you go, and of course I'll tell you how much we have to charge you. And then you'll pay it off at the rate of ten shillings a week when you get in work again.'
Warren nodded, his conscience more painful than his abdomen. 'I might be able to pay it off quicker than that,' he said. 'If I can, I will.'
She smiled again. 'That's very nice of you. It's not that we want to press you when you're out of a job, but the hospital does need every penny it can get. The poorer a town gets the more it needs its hospital, and of course, the harder it is to make ends meet.'
He was interested, having had to 'do with hospitals from time to time — generally when they were in extremis. 'What's the subscription list like?'
'Terrible. When I came here first Barlows were going. Twopence a week per man and three thousand men — that mad? twelve hundred pounds a year from Barlows alone. And then there were the rolling-mills, and the little firms -they all had weekly contributions to the hospital. But all that's gone now. And of course the patients can't pay much, either.' She smiled. 'That's why we have to get it back out of them when they get into work again. But in the meantime, you sec, the hospital has to do without the money.'
'I see that,' said Warren. 'Are there endowments?'
'Very few.'
He wrinkled his brows. 'What are you using for money then?'
'We get along. Lady Swarland is our sheet anchor; she helps us out each year with a subscription to put us on our feet again. I'm afraid it's a great drain on her, but she keeps oh. Year after year.'
'Lady Swarland,' said Warren. 'Isn't her son Lord Cheriton?'
'Yes — he's in the Army, I think. But he lives down in London — we never see him up here.'
She left him, and went down to the little office that she occupied beside the Secretary. She went into the Secretary's office; Mr Williams was checking invoices at his desk.
'I've seen that man Warren, in the surgical,' she said.
'Can he pay?'
'Not a halfpenny. He's a derk, out of a job and walking south.'
The little man clicked his tongue in consternation.
'Hasn't he got any money?'
'If he had, I'd have got it. I asked the sister what he had when he came in. He's only got a little silver.'
'What sort of a man is he?'
'A very good type. He's a payer all right — when he gets in work. But there's no saying when that will be.'
'Aye,' said the Secretary. He stood staring out of the window into the yard, short and rubicund. 'I suppose the men will get in work again — some day.'
'I wouldn't bank on that,' said Miss MacMahon.
Next day a consultation was held upon the riveter in the next bed to
'Have you got any relations who could help you with this expense?'
He shook his head. 'I don't think so.'
'You must make good money when you're in a job.'
He said, 'I was making five pounds ten in England seven years ago, and over in America I was drawing two hundred a month. I don't want you to think I'm trying to dodge this expense. I'll be able to pay it off when I get work again. But I haven't got it now, I'm afraid.'
She looked at him searchingly. 'How much money have you got?'
'Less than a pound,' he said.
She smiled. 'We won't take arty of that if you've got to walk to Hull and London. But you must give me an address before you go, and I shall tell you what the treatment has cost the hospital. We shall want you to sign a note acknowledging that you owe the hospital that money. And then you must pay it off in instalments when you get a job.'
That's right,' said Warren . 'I'll do that.'
Her pencil poised above the pad. 'How much a week will you be able to pay?'
'If I get a job at five pounds a week or more, I could manage ten bob.'
She calculated for a moment. 'That would do.' She smiled at him. 'All right, Mr Warren — we'll leave it at that for the time being. I shall want you to sign that note before you go, and of course I'll tell you how much we have to charge you. And then you'll pay it off at the rate of ten shillings a week when you get in work again.'
Warren nodded, his conscience more painful than his abdomen. 'I might be able to pay it off quicker than that,' he said. 'If I can, I will.'
She smiled again. 'That's very nice of you. It's not that we want to press you when you're out of a job, but the hospital does need every penny it can get. The poorer a town gets the more it needs its hospital, and of course, the harder it is to make ends meet.'
He was interested, having had to 'do with hospitals from time to time — generally when they were in extremis. 'What's the subscription list like?'
'Terrible. When I came here first Barlows were going. Twopence a week per man and three thousand men — that mad? twelve hundred pounds a year from Barlows alone. And then there were the rolling-mills, and the little firms -they all had weekly contributions to the hospital. But all that's gone now. And of course the patients can't pay much, either.' She smiled. 'That's why we have to get it back out of them when they get into work again. But in the meantime, you sec, the hospital has to do without the money.'
'I see that,' said Warren. 'Are there endowments?'
'Very few.'
He wrinkled his brows. 'What are you using for money then?'
'We get along. Lady Swarland is our sheet anchor; she helps us out each year with a subscription to put us on our feet again. I'm afraid it's a great drain on her, but she keeps oh. Year after year.'
'Lady Swarland,' said Warren. 'Isn't her son Lord Cheriton?'
'Yes — he's in the Army, I think. But he lives down in London — we never see him up here.'
She left him, and went down to the little office that she occupied beside the Secretary. She went into the Secretary's office; Mr Williams was checking invoices at his desk.
'I've seen that man Warren, in the surgical,' she said.
'Can he pay?'
'Not a halfpenny. He's a derk, out of a job and walking south.'
The little man clicked his tongue in consternation.
'Hasn't he got any money?'
'If he had, I'd have got it. I asked the sister what he had when he came in. He's only got a little silver.'
'What sort of a man is he?'
'A very good type. He's a payer all right — when he gets in work. But there's no saying when that will be.'
'Aye,' said the Secretary. He stood staring out of the window into the yard, short and rubicund. 'I suppose the men will get in work again — some day.'
'I wouldn't bank on that,' said Miss MacMahon.
Next day a consultation was held upon the riveter in the next bed to
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