.

'I am afraid I cannot,' she answered. 'My health is not good; I never
see people. Thank you very much.'

'Oh, of course I wouldn't put you out,' said Alice, inspecting her
relative's face curiously. And she added, rather more in her old voice,
'I'm sorry you lost your baby. I believe you're fond of children? I
don't care anything about them myself; I hope I shan't have any.'

Adela could not make any reply; she shook hands with Alice and took her
leave, only breathing freely when once more in the street. All the way
back to St. John's Wood she was afflicted by the thought that it would
be impossible to advise a meeting between Stella and Mrs. Rodman. Yet
she had promised Richard to do so. Once more she found herself sundered
from him in sympathies. Affection between Alice and her there could
be none, yet Alice was the one person in the world whom Richard held
greatly dear.

The enchanted life of those first weeks at Exmouth was now resumed. The
golden mornings passed with poetry and music; in the afternoon visits
were paid to museums and galleries, or to the studios of artists who
were Mrs. Westlake's friends, and who, as Adela was pleased to see,
always received Stella with reverential homage. The evening, save when a
concert called them forth, was generally a time of peaceful reading
and talking, the presence of friends making no difference in the simple
arrangements of the home. If a man came to dine at this house, it was
greatly preferred that he should not present himself in the costume of
a waiter, and only those came who were sufficiently intimate with
the Westlakes to know their habits. One evening weekly saw a purely
Socialist gathering; three or four artisans were always among the
guests. On that occasion Adela was sorely tempted to plead a headache,
but for several reasons she resisted. It was a trial to her, for she
was naturally expected to talk a good deal with the visitors, several of
whom she herself had entertained at Wanley. Watching Stella, she had a
feeling which she could not quite explain or justify; she was pained to
see her goddess in this company, and felt indignant with some of the men
who seemed to make themselves too much at their ease. There was no talk
of poetry.

Among the studios to which Stella took her was that of Mr. Boscobel.
Mrs. Boscobel made much of them, and insisted on Adela's coming to dine
with her. An evening was appointed. Adela felt reproofs of conscience,
rememberi