‘I am amply rewarded,’ he said, bowing low.  ’And now that I have had my desire, permit me to hasten away.  My duty calls me into the town.’

He again bowed low to Adela, smiled a farewell to Alice, and departed.

The two walked together in the garden.  Adela turned to her companion.

‘I think you knew Mr. Keene a long time ago?’

‘Yes, a long time.  He once asked me to marry him.’

Adela replied only with a look.

‘And he’s asked me again this morning,’ Alice pursued, breaking off a leaf from an elder bush.

‘And you—?’

‘I didn’t refuse him this time,’ Alice replied with confidence.

’I am very glad, very glad.  He has been faithful to you so long that I am sure he will make you happy.’

Alice no longer concealed her joy.  It was almost exultation.  Natural enough under the circumstances, poor, disinherited Princess!  Once more she felt able to face people; once more she would have a name.  She began to talk eagerly.

’Of course I shall just go back to tell mother, but we are going to be married in three weeks.  He has already decided upon a house; we went to see it this morning.  I didn’t like to tell you, but I met him for the first time a week ago—­quite by chance.’

‘I’m afraid your mother will be lonely,’ Adela said.

’Not she!  She’d far rather live alone than go anywhere else.  And now I shall be able to send her money.  It isn’t fair for you to have to find everything.’

‘I have wanted to ask you,’ Adela said presently, ’do you ever hear of Harry?’

Alice shook her head.

‘The less we hear the better,’ she replied.  ’He’s gone to the bad, and there’s no help for it.’

It was true; unfortunate victim of prosperity.

Next morning Adela and Alice travelled to town together.  The former did not go to Wilton Square.  On the occasion of Richard’s death she had met Mrs. Mutimer, but the interview had been an extremely difficult one, in spite of the old woman’s endeavour to be courteous.  Adela felt herself to be an object of insuperable prejudice.  Once again she was bidden sound the depth of the gulf which lies between the educated and the uneducated.  The old woman would not give her hand, but made an old-fashioned curtsey, which Adela felt to be half ironical.  In speaking of her son she was hard.  Pride would not allow her to exhibit the least symptom of the anguish which wrung her heart.  She refused to accept any share of the income which was continued to her son’s widow under the Wanley will.  Alice, however, had felt no scruple in taking the half which Adela offered her, and by paying her mother for board and lodgings she supplemented the income derived from letting as much of the house as possible.