THE MAID'S SHOES
39
a bit embarrassed to be doing so, because he realized that, despite
his warnings to himself, he had permitted himself to meddle in her
affairs; but he considered giving her the shoes a psychologically good
move in more ways than one. In presenting her with them, he said,
"Rosa, I have perhaps a solution to suggest in the matter you dis–
cussed with me. Here are a pair of new shoes for you. Tell your
friend you must refuse his. And when you do, perhaps it would be
advisable
also
to inform him that you intend to see him a little less
frequently from now on."
Rosa was overjoyed at the professor's kindness. She attempted
to kiss his hand, but he thrust it behind
him
and retired to his
study. On Thursday, when he opened the apartment door to her
ring, she was wearing his shoes. She carried a large paper bag from
which she offered the professor three small oranges still on a branch
with green leaves. He said she needn't have bought them but Rosa,
smiling half hiddenly in order not to show her bad teeth, said that she
wanted him to see how grateful she was. Later, she requested per–
mission to leave at three so she could show Armando her new shoes.
He said dryly, "You may go at that hour if your work is done."
She thanked him profusely. Hastening through her tasks, she
left shortly after three, but not before the professor, in his hat, gloves
and bathrobe, nervously standing at his open study door as he was
inspecting the corridor floor she had just mopped, saw her hurrying
out of the apartment, wearing a pair of dressy black needle-point
pumps. This angered him; and when Rosa appeared the next morn–
ing, though she begged him not to when he said she had made a
fool of him and he was firing her to teach her a lesson, the pro–
fessor did. She wept and pleaded for another chance, but he would
not change his mind. So she desolately wrapped up the odds and
ends
in
her room in a newspaper and left, still crying. Mterwards he
was upset and very nervous. He could not stand the cold that day
and he could not work.
A week later, on the morning the heat was turned on, Rosa
appeared at the apartment door and begged to have her job back.
She was distraught, said her son had hit her, and gently touched
her puffed, black and blue upper lip. With tears in her eyes, although
she did not cry, Rosa said it was no fault of hers that she had ac–
cepted both pairs of shoes. Armando had given her his pair fin;t;
