Having the assistance of two servants and a nurse-girl, Emmeline was not overburdened with domestic work.  She soon found it fortunate that her child, a girl of two years old, needed no great share of her attention; for Miss Derrick, though at first she affected an extravagant interest in the baby, very soon had enough of that plaything, and showed a decided preference for Emmeline’s society out of sight and hearing of nursery affairs.  On the afternoon of the second day they went together to call upon Mrs. Fentiman, who lived at a distance of a quarter of an hour’s walk, in a house called “Hazeldene”; a semi-detached house, considerably smaller than “Runnymede,” and neither without nor within so pleasant to look upon.  Mrs. Fentiman, a tall, hard-featured, but amiable lady, had two young children who occupied most of her time; at present one of them was ailing, and the mother could talk of nothing else but this distressing circumstance.  The call lasted only for ten minutes, and Emmeline felt that her companion was disappointed.

‘Children are a great trouble,’ Louise remarked, when they had left the house.  ’People ought never to marry unless they can keep a lot of servants.  Not long ago I was rather fond of somebody, but I wouldn’t have him because he had no money.  Don’t you think I was quite right?’

‘I have no doubt you were.’

‘And now,’ pursued the girl, poking the ground with her sunshade as she walked, ’there’s somebody else.  And that’s one of the things I want to tell you about.  He has about three hundred a year.  It isn’t much, of course; but I suppose Mr. Higgins would give me something.  And yet I’m sure it won’t come to anything.  Let’s go home and have a good talk, shall we?’

Mrs. Higgins’s letter had caused Emmeline and her husband no little amusement; but at the same time it led them to reflect.  Certainly they numbered among their acquaintances one or two marriageable young men who might perchance be attracted by Miss Derrick, especially if they learnt that Mr. Higgins was disposed to ’behave handsomely’ to his stepdaughter; but the Mumfords had no desire to see Louise speedily married.  To the bribe with which the letter ended they could give no serious thought.  Having secured their “paying guest,” they hoped she would remain with them for a year or two at least.  But already Louise had dropped hints such as Emmeline could not fail to understand, and her avowal of serious interest in a lover came rather as an annoyance than a surprise to Mrs. Mumford.

It was a hot afternoon, and they had tea brought out into the garden, under the rustling leaves of the chestnut.

‘You don’t know anyone else at Sutton except Mrs. Fentiman?’ said Louise, as she leaned back in the wicker chair.

’Not intimately.  But some of our friends from London will be coming on Sunday.  I’ve asked four people to lunch.’

’How jolly!  Of course you’ll tell me all about them before then.  But I want to talk about Mr. Cobb.  Please, two lumps of sugar.  I’ve known him for about a year and a half.  We seem quite old friends, and he writes to me; I don’t answer the letters, unless there’s something to say.  To tell the truth, I don’t like him.’