down in Surrey quite in the country, yet
within easy reach of town; a house with a real garden, and perhaps an
orchard. I believe you can get them very cheap sometimes. Not rent the
house, but buy it. Then we would have our portraits painted, and----'

Harvey asked himself how long Alma would find satisfaction in such a
home; but it pleased him to hear her talking thus of the things which
were his own hopeless dream.

'That reminds me, Alma, you have never sat yet for your picture, as I
said you should.'

'We must wait--now.'

'It shall be done next year.'

They were content with each other this evening, and looked forward to
pleasures they might have in common. For Harvey had learnt to nourish
only the humblest hopes, and Alma thought she had subdued herself to an
undistinguished destiny.

CHAPTER 5

Determined to have done once for all with a task she loathed, Alma
wrote out her advertisements for cook, house-parlourmaid, and nurse,
and sent them to half a dozen newspapers. After three weeks of
correspondence with servants and mistresses--a correspondence which, as
Rolfe said, would have made a printed volume of higher sociological
interest than anything yet published, or likely to be--the end of her
patience and her strength compelled her to decide half desperately, and
engage the three young women who appeared least insolent. At the same
time she had to find a new boy for boots, windows, knives, and coals,
the youngster hitherto employed having been so successful with his
'book' on Kempton Park and Hurst Park September meetings that he
relinquished menial duties and devoted himself wholly to the turf; but
this was such a simple matter, compared with the engaging of indoor
domestics, that she felt it almost a delight. When a strong,
merry-looking lad presented himself, eager for the job, and speaking
not a word that was beside the point, Alma could have patted his head.

She amused Harvey that evening by exclaiming with the very accent of
sincerity----

'How I like men, and how I detest women!'

Her nerves were so upset again that, when all was over, she generally
slept pretty well, but now her insomnia returned, and had to keep her
bed for a day or two. At the sea-side she had once more she had
recourse to the fashionable specific. Harvey knew nothing of this; she
was careful to hide it from him; and each time she measured out her
dose she assured herself that it should be the last.

Oh, but t