and a little apart rose the walls of a large
building which would contain library, reading rooms, and lecture-hall,
for the use of the industrial community. New Wanley was in a fair way to
claim for itself a place on the map.

The Manor was long since furnished, and Richard entertained visitors.
He had provided himself with a housekeeper, as well as the three or four
necessary servants, and kept a saddle-horse as well as that which drew
his trap to and fro when he had occasion to go to Agworth station. His
establishment was still a modest one; all things considered, it could
not be deemed inconsistent with his professions. Of course, stories to
the contrary got about; among his old comrades in London, thoroughgoing
Socialists like Messrs. Cowes and Cullen, who perhaps thought themselves
a little neglected by the great light of the Union, there passed
occasionally nods and winks, which were meant to imply much. There were
rumours of banqueting which went on at Wanley; the Manor was spoken of
by some who had not seen it as little less than a palace--nay, it was
declared by one or two of the shrewder tongued that a manservant in
livery opened the door, a monstrous thing if true. Worse than this was
the talk which began to spread among the Hoxton and Islington Unionists
of a certain young woman in a poor position to whom Mutimer had in
former days engaged himself, and whom he did not now find it convenient
to marry. A few staunch friends Richard had, who made it their business
stoutly to contradict the calumnies which came within their hearing,
Daniel Dabbs the first of them. But even Daniel found himself before
long preferring silence to speech on the subject of Emma Vine. He grew
uncomfortable about it, and did not know what to think.

The first of Richard's visitors at the Manor were Mr. and Mrs. Westlake.
They came down from London one day, and stayed over till the next.
Other prominent members of the Union followed, and before the end of
the autumn Richard entertained some dozen of the rank and file, all
together, paying their railway fares and housing them from Saturday to
Monday. These men, be it noted in passing, distinguished themselves from
that day onwards by unsparing detraction whenever the name of Mutimer
came up in private talk, though, of course, they were the loudest in
applause when platform reference to their leader demanded it. Besides
the expressly invited, there was naturally no lack of visitors who