. Six weeks at Penzance
simply wearied her; she brightened wonderfully on the day of return.
Harvey, always anxious, tried to believe that the great sorrow through
which she had passed was effecting only a natural change, subduing her
troublesome mutability of temper, and leading her to find solace in
domestic quietude.

On the third day after her return, she had lunched alone, and was
sitting in the library. Her dress, more elaborate than usual, and the
frequent glances which she cast at the clock, denoted expectation of
some arrival. Hearing a knock at the front door, she rose and waited
nervously.

'Mr. Dymes is in the drawing-room, mum.'

She joined him. Dymes, with wonted frankness, not to say impudence,
inspected her from head to foot, and did not try to conceal surprise.

'I was awfully glad to get your note. As I told you, I called here
about a month ago, and I should have called again. I didn't care to
write until I heard from you. You've been ill, I can see. I heard about
it. Awfully sorry.'

Alma saw that he intended respectful behaviour. The fact of being in
her own house was, of course, a protection, but Dymes, she quite
understood, had altered in mind towards her. She treated him distantly,
yet without a hint of unfriendliness.

'I began to wonder whether I had missed a letter of yours. It's some
time since you promised to write--on business.'

'The fact is,' he replied, 'I kept putting it off, hoping to see you,
and it's wonderful how time slips by. I can hardly believe that it's
more than a year since your recital. How splendidly it came off! If
only you could have followed it up--but we won't talk about that.'

He paused for any remark she might wish to make. Alma, dreamy for a
moment, recovered herself, and asked, in a disinterested tone----

'We paid all expenses, I suppose?'

'Well--not quite.'

'Not quite? I understood from you that there was no doubt about it.'

'I thought,' said Dymes, as he bent forward familiarly, 'that my
silence would let you know how matters stood. If there had been
anything due to you, of course I should have sent a cheque. We did very
well indeed, remarkably well, but the advertising expenses were very
heavy.' He took a paper from his pocket. 'Here is the detailed account.
I shouldn't have spent so much if I hadn't regarded it as an
investment. You had to be boomed, you know--floated, and I flatter
myself I did it pretty well. But, of course, as things turned