might think I went about rather too
much--didn't pay enough attention to home----'

'We manage pretty well, I think. You needn't have any such fear.'

'Of course, when Hughie gets older--when I can really begin to teach
him----'

The child was now approaching the close of his third year, and, in
Harvey's opinion, needed more than the attention of an ordinary
nursemaid. They had recently engaged a nursery-governess, her name
Pauline Smith; a girl of fair education and gentle breeding, who lived
as a member of the family. It appeared to Rolfe that Hughie was quite
old enough to benefit by his mother's guidance and companionship; but
he had left himself no ground for objection to Alma's ordering of her
life. The Welsh servant, Ruth, still remained with them, acting to a
great extent as housekeeper, and having under her a maid and a boy.
Ruth, a trustworthy woman, was so well paid that they had not to fear
her desertion. Regularity and comfort prevailed to a much greater
extent than might have been looked for under the circumstances.
Expenditure had of course greatly increased, and now touched the limit
of Harvey's ordinary income; but this was a matter which did not
immediately concern Mrs. Rolfe. For domestic and private purposes she
had a bank-account of her own; an arrangement made on their removal to
Pinner, when Harvey one morning handed her a pass-book and a
cheque-book, remarking that she would find to her credit a couple of
hundred pounds. Alma pretended to think this unnecessary, but her
countenance betrayed pleasure. When he thought the fund must be nearly
exhausted, he made a new payment to the account, without saying
anything; and Alma preserved an equally discreet silence.

One of her new acquaintances was Mrs. Rayner Mann, a lady who desired
to be known as the patroness of young people aiming at success on the
stage or as musicians. Many stories were told of Mrs. Mann's generosity
to struggling artists, and her house at Putney swarmed with the
strangest mingling of people, some undoubtedly in society others no
less decidedly out of it. Here Alma encountered Felix Dymes, whose
reputation and prosperity had much advanced since their meeting at
Munich. The comic opera of which he then spoke had been brought out at
a provincial theatre with considerable success, and was shortly to be
produced in London; his latest songs, 'The Light of Home', and 'Where
the Willow Dips', had caught the ear of the multitude. A