For a day or two after her arrival at Gunnersbury, Harvey thought that he had never seen her look so well; certainly she had never shown the possibilities of her character to such advantage.  It seemed out of the question that any trouble could ever again come between them.  Only when the excitement of novelty had subsided did he perceive that Alma was far from having recovered her physical strength.  A walk of a mile or two exhausted her; she came home from an hour’s exercise with Hughie pale and tremulous; and of a morning it was often to be noticed that she had not slept well.  Without talking of it, Harvey planned the holiday which Alma had declared would be quite needless this year; he took a house in Norfolk for September.  Before the day of departure, Alma had something to tell him, which, by suggesting natural explanation of her weakness, made him less uneasy.  Remembering the incident which had brought to a close their life in Wales, he saw with pleasure that Alma no longer revolted against the common lot of woman.  Perhaps, indeed, the announcement she made to him was the cause of more anxiety in his mind than in hers.

They took their servants with them, and left the house to a caretaker.  Pauline Smith, though somewhat against Harvey’s judgment, had been called upon to resign; Alma wished to have Hughie to herself, save during his school hours; he slept in her room, and she tended him most conscientiously.  Harvey had asked whether she would like to invite any one, but she preferred to be alone.

This month by the northern sea improved her health, but she had little enjoyment.  After a few days, she wearied of the shore and the moorland, and wished herself back at Gunnersbury.  Nature had never made much appeal to her; when she spoke of its beauties with admiration, she echoed the approved phrases, little more; all her instincts drew towards the life of a great town.  Sitting upon the sand, between cliff and breakers, she lost herself in a dream of thronged streets and brilliant rooms; the voice of the waves became the roar of traffic, a far sweeter music.  With every year this tendency had grown stronger; she could only marvel, now, at the illusion which enabled her to live so long, all but contentedly, in that wilderness where Hughie was born.  Rather than return to it, she would die —­ rather, a thousand times.  Happily, there was no such danger.  Harvey would never ask her to leave London.  All he desired was that she should hold apart from certain currents of town life; and this she was resolved to do, knowing how nearly they had swept her to destruction.

‘Wouldn’t you like to take up your sketching again?’ said Harvey one day, when he saw that she felt dull.

’Sketching?  Oh, I had forgotten all about it.  It seems ages ago.  I should have to begin and learn all over again.  No, no; it isn’t worth while.  I shall have no time.’

She did not speak discontentedly, but Rolfe saw already the justification of his misgivings.  She had begun to feel the constant presence of the child a restraint and a burden.