’It’s all very well for mere amateurs to take up half-a-dozen things.  I aim at more than that.  You would like me, wouldn’t you, to become really something as a violinist?’

Harvey assented.

‘And you understand,’ she pursued, regarding him with her bright smile, ‘that the life of an artist can’t be quite like that of other women?’

’Of course, I understand it.  You know I don’t wish to put the least restraint upon you.’

’My one fear was, that you might think I went about rather too much —­ didn’t pay enough attention to home ——­’

‘We manage pretty well, I think.  You needn’t have any such fear.’

’Of course, when Hughie gets older —­ when I can really begin to teach him ——­’

The child was now approaching the close of his third year, and, in Harvey’s opinion, needed more than the attention of an ordinary nursemaid.  They had recently engaged a nursery-governess, her name Pauline Smith; a girl of fair education and gentle breeding, who lived as a member of the family.  It appeared to Rolfe that Hughie was quite old enough to benefit by his mother’s guidance and companionship; but he had left himself no ground for objection to Alma’s ordering of her life.  The Welsh servant, Ruth, still remained with them, acting to a great extent as housekeeper, and having under her a maid and a boy.  Ruth, a trustworthy woman, was so well paid that they had not to fear her desertion.  Regularity and comfort prevailed to a much greater extent than might have been looked for under the circumstances.  Expenditure had of course greatly increased, and now touched the limit of Harvey’s ordinary income; but this was a matter which did not immediately concern Mrs. Rolfe.  For domestic and private purposes she had a bank-account of her own; an arrangement made on their removal to Pinner, when Harvey one morning handed her a pass-book and a cheque-book, remarking that she would find to her credit a couple of hundred pounds.  Alma pretended to think this unnecessary, but her countenance betrayed pleasure.  When he thought the fund must be nearly exhausted, he made a new payment to the account, without saying anything; and Alma preserved an equally discreet silence.

One of her new acquaintances was Mrs. Rayner Mann, a lady who desired to be known as the patroness of young people aiming at success on the stage or as musicians.  Many stories were told of Mrs. Mann’s generosity to struggling artists, and her house at Putney swarmed with the strangest mingling of people, some undoubtedly in society others no less decidedly out of it.  Here Alma encountered Felix Dymes, whose reputation and prosperity had much advanced since their meeting at Munich.  The comic opera of which he then spoke had been brought out at a provincial theatre with considerable success, and was shortly to be produced in London; his latest songs, ‘The Light of Home’, and ’Where the Willow Dips’, had caught the ear of the multitude.