‘And what about your girls?’ asked the other, when they had smoked in silence.  ‘Is the difficulty greater or less?’

’From my point of view, less.  For one thing, I can leave them entirely in the hands of their mother; if they resemble her, they won’t do amiss.  And there’s no bother about work in life; they will have enough to live upon —­ just enough.  Of course, they may want to go out into the world.  I shall neither hinder nor encourage.  I had rather they stayed at home.’

’Don’t lose sight of the possibility that by when they are grown up there may be no such thing as “home”.  The word is dying out.’

Morton’s pedantry led him again to murmur Latin ——­

‘Multa renascentur quoe jam cecidere.’

‘You’re the happiest man I know, or ever shall know,’ said Rolfe, with more feeling than he cared to exhibit.

’Don’t make me think about Croesus, King of Lydia.  On the whole, happiness means health, and health comes of occupation.  In one point I agree with you about yourself:  it would have been better if someone had found the right kind of work for you, and made you stick to it.  By-the-bye, how does your friend, the photographic man, get on?’

’Not at all badly.  Did I tell you I had put money into it?  I go there a good deal, and pretend to do something.’

’Why pretend?  Couldn’t you find a regular job there for a few hours every day?’

’I dare say I could.  It’ll be easier to get backwards and forwards from Gunnersbury.  How would you like,’ he added, with a laugh, ’to live at Gunnersbury?’

’What does it matter where one lives?  I have something of a prejudice against Hoxton or Bermondsey; but I think I could get along in most other places.  Gunnersbury is rather pleasant, I thought.  Isn’t it quite near to Kew and Richmond?’

‘Do those names attract you?’

‘They have a certain charm for the rustic ear.’

’It’s all one to me.  Hughie will go to school, and make friends with other children.  You see, he’s had no chance of it yet.  We know a hundred people or so, but have no intimates.  Is there such a thing as intimacy of families in London?  I’m inclined to think not.  Here, you go into each other’s houses without fuss and sham; you know each other, and trust each other.  In London there’s no such comfort, at all events for educated people.  If you have a friend, he lives miles away; before his children and yours can meet, they must travel for an hour and a half by bus and underground.’

‘I suppose it must be London?’ interrupted Morton.

‘I’m afraid so,’ Harvey replied absently, and his friend said no more.