e newspapers, in each of which a
paragraph of musical gossip informed the world that Mrs. Harvey Rolfe
was about to give her first public violin recital at Prince's Hall.
Mrs. Rolfe, added the journalists in varying phrase, was already well
known to the best musical circles as an amateur violinist, and great
interest attached to her appearance in public, a step on which she had
decided only after much persuasion of friends and admirers. Already
there was considerable demand for tickets, and the audience would most
certainly be both large and distinguished. Alma laughed with delight.

The same day, by a later post, she received a copy of a 'society'
journal, addressed in a hand unknown to her. Guided by a red pencil
mark, she became aware of no less than a quarter of a column devoted to
herself. From this she might learn (if she did not already know it)
that Mrs. Harvey Rolfe was a lady of the utmost personal and social
charm; that her beauty was not easily described without the use of
terms that would sound extravagant; that as a violinist she had stood
for a year or two _facile princeps_ amid lady amateurs; that she had
till of late lived in romantic seclusion 'amid the noblest scenery of
North Wales', for the sole purpose of devoting herself to music; and
that only with the greatest reluctance had she consented to make known
to the public a talent--nay, a genius--which assuredly was 'meant for
mankind'. She was the favourite pupil of that admirable virtuoso, Herr
Wilenski. At Prince's Hall, on the sixteenth of May, all lovers of
music would have, &c, &c.

This batch of newspapers Alma laid before dinner on Harvey's desk, and
about an hour after the meal she entered the library. Her husband,
smoking and meditating, looked up constrainedly.

'I have read them,' he remarked, in a dry tone.

Alma's coldness during the last few weeks he had explained to himself
as the result of his failure to take interest in her proceedings. He
knew that this behaviour on his part was quite illogical; Alma acted
with full permission, and he had no right whatever to 'turn grumpy'
just because he disliked what she was doing. Only today he had rebuked
himself, and meant to make an effort to restore goodwill between them;
but these newspaper paragraphs disgusted him. He could not speak as he
wished.

'This is your agent's doing, I suppose?'

'Of course. That is his business.'

'Well, I won't say anything about it. If _you_ are satisfi