e a private income, it will be
comfortable enough for a long time to come. But it is on the crumble.
When I thought of my children I never pictured them grown up in that
genteel snobbish life that I'd been brought up in. No!

"And I knew that Rosa still had her dislike of Italy. What should we do?
Suddenly it occurred to me that since my father had come from America, I
could go back there. I believe in this country, and it's going on ten
years since I first came. There's something _electric_ in the air over
here, a feeling that things grow. My boys will have a chance here ... I
think.

"That was one part of the idea. The other was to name my boys after
those two men. It may be only fancy, but I think names have an
influence, you know. A father's fancy--let it go at that! I'd like
somehow to have one of my boys an artist, and watch him grow. I used to
dream about the future on that lazy voyage to Genoa. Every man does at
times. Pipe-dreams, you know.

"Rosa was out and about when I reached the Via Palestro. She fell in at
once with my plan to take a trip to England. We stopped at Paris for a
day or two to look round and buy things, and then on to London. I found
a quiet little private boarding establishment in Tavistock Square, where
we lived cheap and comfortable. A penny bus took us almost anywhere. I'd
been fancying myself with Rosa going about as a stranger, and if you'll
believe me it was almost a fact! London had changed very much since I'd
been in Victoria Street. You'll notice that if you go back now. Same as
New York; one can hardly recognize some parts of it now. I did enjoy
that time. Rosa was so pleased with everything she saw. It was May, you
see; London in May. We used to go down to Chelsea and watch the boats on
the river, and see the people in the grand houses on the embankment,
going out in their automobiles.

"Gradually the idea that my brother would come across me again got
fainter and I didn't encourage it. I heard nothing of him. My uncle, who
had retired, down at Surbiton, told me he had not seen him for years. We
agreed that it was best to leave him to his own devices. I didn't take
Rosa down. Somehow I didn't see her catching on to my uncle and cousins.
They were a little too genteel for her.

"For the same reason I didn't take her to Clifford's Inn when I went to
see Miss Flagg, the woman Gladys had lived with. Miss Flagg was there,
much the same as before, with her flat and peculiar furnitu