e presently reinstated in the
very apartments they had learned so to love. This time in fact it was
even better than before--they had still fewer expenses. The expenses
were Nick's: he had to pay a forfeit to the landlady at Brighton for
backing out of his contract. He said nothing to his mother about that
bungled business--he was literally afraid; but a sad event just then
reminded him afresh how little it was the moment for squandering money.
Mr. Carteret drew his last breath; quite painlessly it seemed, as the
closing scene was described at Beauclere when the young man went down to
the funeral. Two or three weeks later the contents of his will were made
public in the _Illustrated London News_, where it definitely appeared
that he left a very large fortune, not a penny of which was to go to
Nick. The provision for Mr. Chayter's declining years was remarkably
handsome.

XLVIII

Miriam had mounted at a bound, in her new part, several steps in the
ladder of fame, and at the climax of the London season this fact was
brought home to her from hour to hour. It produced a thousand
solicitations and entanglements, and she rapidly learned that to be
celebrated takes up almost as much of one's own time as of other
people's. Even though, as she boasted, she had reduced to a science the
practice of "working" her mother--she made use of the good lady socially
to the utmost, pushing her perpetually into the breach--there was many a
juncture at which it was clear that she couldn't too much disoblige
without hurting her cause. She made almost an income out of the
photographers--their appreciation of her as a subject knew no
bounds--and she supplied the newspapers with columns of characteristic
copy. To the gentlemen who sought speech of her on behalf of these
organs she poured forth, vindictively, floods of unscrupulous romance;
she told them all different tales, and, as her mother told them others
more marvellous yet, publicity was cleverly caught by rival versions,
which surpassed each other in authenticity. The whole case was
remarkable, was unique; for if the girl was advertised by the
bewilderment of her readers she seemed to every sceptic, on his going to
see her, as fine as if he had discovered her for himself. She was still
accommodating enough, however, from time to time, to find an hour to
come and sit to Nick Dormer, and he helped himself further by going to
her theatre whenever he could. He was conscious Julia Da