pained more than it shamed her, and not a day passed but she
sorrowed over the dishonour that darkened his memory. Yet were not
these woes and disasters the beginning of a new life for _her_! In
prosperity, what would she ever have become? Nothing less than being
thrown out into the world could have given her the impulse needed to
realise a high ambition. '_Tant mieux_, another great violinist!' How
sincerely, how inspiringly, it was said!

And Alma's feet had brought her home again before she paused to reflect
that, for all purposes of ambition, the past half-year had been utterly
wasted. Never mind; after her return from Bregenz!

On her table lay Redgrave's note; a very civil line or two, requesting
permission to call. There was another letter, black-bordered, which
came from her step-mother. Mrs. Frothingham said that she had been
about to write for several days, but all sorts of disagreeable business
had hindered her; even now, she could only write hurriedly. In the last
fortnight she had had to go twice to London. 'And really I think I
shall be obliged to go and live there again, for a time; so many things
have to be seen to. It might be best, perhaps, if I took a small flat.
I was going to say, however, that the last time I went up, I met Mr.
Redgrave, and we had quite a long talk--about _you_. He was most
sincerely interested in your future; indeed it quite surprised me, for
I will confess that I had never had a very high opinion of him. I fancy
he suffered _no loss_. His behaviour to me was that of a gentleman,
very different from that of some people I could name. But it was _you_
he spoke of most. He said he was shortly going to Germany, and begged
me to let him have your address, and really I saw no harm in it. He may
call upon you. If so, let me hear all about it, for it will interest me
very much.'

Alma had half a mind to reply at once, but on reflection decided to
wait. After all, Mr. Redgrave might not keep his promise of coming to
see her at Bregenz, and in that event a very brief report of what had
happened would suffice. But she felt sure that he meant to come.

And decidedly she hoped it; why, she was content to leave a rosy
vagueness.

CHAPTER 8

Alma and her German friend silently agreed in foreseeing that they
would not live together much longer. Miss Steinfeld, eager at first to
talk English, was relapsing into her native tongue, and as Alma lazily
avoided German, they conversed in