Having nothing better to do, Alma got out a map of France, and searched for La Roche Chalais; but the place was too insignificant to be marked.  On the morrow, being still without occupation, she answered Rolfe’s letter, and in quite a playful vein.  She had no time to correspond with people who ‘wasted their lives’.  To her, life was a serious matter enough.  But he knew nothing of the laborious side of a musician’s existence, and probably doubted its reality.  As an afterthought, she thanked him gravely for his letter, and hoped that some day, when she had really ‘done something’, they might meet and renew their friendship.

CHAPTER 9

On an afternoon in September, Harvey Rolfe spent half an hour at a certain London bookseller’s, turning over books that dealt with the theory and practice of elementary education.  Two or three of them he selected, and ordered to be sent to a lady at Gunnersbury.  On his way out he came upon an acquaintance making a purchase in another department of the shop.  It was some months since he had seen Cecil Morphew, who looked in indifferent health, and in his dress came near to shabbiness.  They passed out together, Morphew carrying an enwrapped volume, which he gave Rolfe to understand was a birthday present —­ for her.  The elder man resisted his inclination to joke, and asked how things were going on.

’Much the same as usual, except that her father is in very bad health.  It’s brutal, but I wish he would die.’

‘Naturally.’

’That’s what one’s driven to, you see.  And anyone but you, who know me, would set me down as a selfish, calculating beast.  Can’t help it.  I had rather have her penniless. —­ Will you come in here with me?  I want to buy some pyrogallic acid.’

In the street again, Morphew mentioned that he had taken up photography.

’It gives me something to do, and it takes me out into the open air.  This beastly town is the ruin of me, in every way. —­ Come to my rooms for an hour, will you?  I’ll show you some attempts; I’ve only just tried my hand at developing.  And it’s a long time since we had a talk.’

They made for a Chelsea omnibus and mounted.

‘I thought you were never in town at this time,’ Morphew resumed.  ’I want to get away, but can’t afford it; devilish low-water with me.  I must have a bicycle.  With that and the camera I may just manage to live; often there seems little enough to live for. —­ Tripcony?  Oh, Tripcony’s a damned swindler; I’ve given him up.  Speculation isn’t quite so simple as I imagined.  I made a couple of hundred, though —­ yes, and lost nearly three.’

The young man’s laugh was less pleasant to hear than formerly.  Altogether, Rolfe observed in him a decline, a loss of refinement as well as of vitality.

‘Why don’t you go into the country?’ he said.  ’Take a cottage and grow cabbages; dig for three hours a day.  It would do you no end of good.’