that she was
never so happy as when submitting herself to a stronger will. Alfred and Letty
ran away and hid themselves in South Wales. Mr. and Mrs. Rodman fled to the
Continent.
    Half Alice's fortune was settled upon herself, her brother and Alfred
Waltham being trustees. This was all Mutimer could do. He disliked the marriage
intensely, and not only because he had set his heart on a far better match for
Alice; he had no real confidence in Rodman. Though the latter's extreme
usefulness and personal tact had from the first led Richard to admit him to
terms of intimacy, time did not favour the friendship. Mutimer, growing daily
more ambitious and more punctilious in his intercourse with all whom,
notwithstanding his principles, he deemed inferiors from the social point of
view, often regretted keenly that he had allowed any relation between himself
and Rodman more than that of master and man. Experience taught him how easily he
might have made the most of Rodman without granting him a single favour. The
first suggestion of the marriage enraged him; in the conversation with Rodman,
which took place, moreover, at an unfavourable moment, he lost his temper and
flung out very broad hints indeed as to the suitor's motives. Rodman was calm;
life had instructed him in the advantages of a curbed tongue; but there was
heightened colour on his face, and his demeanour much resembled that of a proud
man who cares little to justify himself, but will assuredly never forget an
insult. It was one of the peculiarities of this gentleman that his exterior was
most impressive when the inner man was most busy with ignoble or venomous
thoughts.
    But for Alice's sake Mutimer could not persist in his hostility. Alice had a
weapon which he durst not defy, and, the marriage being inevitable, he strove
hard to see it in a more agreeable light, even tried to convince himself that
his prejudice against Rodman was groundless. He loved his sister, and for her
alone would put up with things otherwise intolerable. It was a new exasperation
when he discovered that Rodman could not be persuaded to continue his work at
New Wanley. All inducements proved vain. Richard had hoped that at least one
advantage might come of the marriage, that Rodman would devote capital to the
works; but Rodman's Socialism, cooled strangely from the day when his ends were
secured. He purposed living in London, and Alice was delighted to encourage him.
The girl had visions of a life such as the heroines of certain novels rejoice
in. For a wonder, her husband was indispensable to the