‘You know, Clara,’ he made his voice very weighty, as though if he spoke more seriously his words would carry more conviction and be therefore more comforting, ‘you know, I’m glad you’re going down to New York to have Zimmerman take care of this. I’d never forgive myself if it turned out to be something serious and I let you go to this butcher up here.’

‘It’s just a toothache,’ Clara said uneasily, ‘nothing very serious about a toothache.’

‘You can’t tell,’ he said. ‘It might be abscessed or something; I’m sure he’ll have to pull it.’

‘Don’t even talk like that,’ she said, and shivered.

‘Well, it looks pretty bad,’ he said soberly, as before. ‘Your face so swollen, and all. Don’t you worry.’

‘I’m not worrying,’ she said. ‘I just feel as if I were all tooth. Nothing else.’

The bus driver got up from the stool and walked over to pay his check. Clara moved toward the bus, and her husband said, ‘Take your time, you’ve got plenty of time.’

‘I just feel funny,’ Clara said.

‘Listen,’ her husband said, ‘that tooth’s been bothering you off and on for years; at least six or seven times since I’ve known you you’ve had trouble with that tooth. It’s about time something was done. You had a toothache on our honeymoon,’ he finished accusingly.

‘Did I?’ Clara said. ‘You know,’ she went on, and laughed, ‘I was in such a hurry I didn’t dress properly. I have on old stockings and I just dumped everything into my good pocketbook.’

‘Are you sure you have enough money?’ he said.

‘Almost twenty-five dollars,’ Clara said. ‘I’ll be home tomorrow.’

‘Wire if you need more,’ he said. The bus driver appeared in the doorway of the lunchroom. ‘Don’t worry,’ he said.

‘Listen,’ Clara said suddenly, ‘are you sure you’ll be all right? Mrs Lang will be over in the morning in time to make breakfast, and Johnny doesn’t need to go to school if things are too mixed up.’

‘I know,’ he said.

‘Mrs Lang,’ she said, checking on her fingers. ‘I called Mrs Lang, I left the grocery order on the kitchen table, you can have the cold tongue for lunch and in case I don’t get back Mrs Lang will give you dinner. The cleaner ought to come about four o’clock, I won’t be back so give him your brown suit and it doesn’t matter if you forget but be sure to empty the pockets.’

‘Wire if you need more money,’ he said. ‘Or call. I’ll stay home tomorrow so you can call at home.’

‘Mrs Lang will take care of the baby,’ she said.

‘Or you can wire,’ he said.

The bus driver came across the street and stood by the entrance to the bus.

‘Okay?’ the bus driver said.