Harvey felt a new kind of uneasiness.

‘Let me speak in a plain way about plain things,’ pursued the widow, with that shadow on her face which always indicated that she was thinking of the mournful past.  ’I know that neither Alma nor you would hear of her accepting money from me; I know I mustn’t speak of it.  All the better that you have no need of money.  But now that you are my relative —­ will be so very soon —­ I want to tell you how my affairs stand.  Will you let me?  Please do!’

Impossible to refuse a hearing to the good little woman, who delighted in confidential gossip, and for a long time had been anxious to pour these details into Harvey’s ear.  So she unfolded everything.  Her capital at Bennet Frothingham’s death amounted to more than sixteen thousand pounds, excellently invested —­ no ‘Britannia’ stocks or shares!  Of this, during the past six months, she had given away nearly six thousand to sufferers by the great catastrophe.  Her adviser and administrator in this affair was an old friend of her husband’s, a City man of honourable repute.  He had taken great trouble to discover worthy recipients of her bounty, and as yet had kept the source of it unknown.

‘I mustn’t give very much more,’ she said, looking at Harvey with a pathetic deprecation of criticism.  ’I want to keep an income of three hundred pounds.  I could live on less, much less; but I should like still to have it in my power to do a little good now and then, and I want to be able to leave something to my sister, or her children.  The truth is, Mr. Rolfe —­ no, I will call you Harvey, once for all —­ the truth is, I couldn’t live now without giving a little help here and there to people poorer than myself.  Don’t think it foolish.’  Her voice quivered.  ’I feel that it will be done in the name of my poor husband as if he himself were doing it, and making amends for a wrong he never, never intended.  If I had given up everything —­ as some people say I ought to have done —­ it wouldn’t have seemed the same to me.  I couldn’t earn my own living, and what right had I to become a burden to my relatives?  I hope I haven’t done very wrong.  Of course, I shall give up the flat as soon as Alma is married.  In taking it I really thought more of her than of my own comfort.  I shall live with my sister, and come up to town just now and then, when it is necessary.’

The listener was touched, and could only nod grave approval.

’There’s another thing.  Alma thinks with me in everything —­ but she says I ought to let it be known who has given that money.  She says it would make many people less bitter against her father’s memory.  Now, what is your opinion?  If she is right in that ——­’

Harvey would offer no counsel, and Mrs. Frothingham did not press him.  She must think about it.  The disclosure, if wise, could be made at any time.

’That’s all I had to say, Harvey.  Now tell me about the house, and then go arid see Alma.  I have business in the City.’