Richard arrived in town on the Saturday, and went to the house in Highbury, whither disagreeable business once more summoned him. Alice, who, owing to her mother’s resolute refusal to direct the household, had not as yet been able to spend more than a day or two with Richard and his wife, sent nothing but ill news to Wanley. Mrs. Mutimer seemed to be breaking down in health, and ‘Arry was undisguisedly returning to evil ways. For the former, it was suspected--a locked door prevented certainty--that she had of late kept her bed the greater part of the day; a servant who met her downstairs in the early morning reported that she ‘looked very bad indeed.’ The case of the latter was as hard to deal with. ‘Arry had long ceased to attend his classes with any regularity, and he was once more asserting the freeman’s right to immunity from day labour. Moreover, he claimed in practice the freeman’s right to get drunk four nights out of the seven. No one knew whence he got his money; Richard purposely stinted him, but the provision was useless. Mr. Keene declared with lamentations that his influence over ‘Arry was at an end; nay, the youth had so far forgotten gratitude as to frankly announce his intention of ‘knockin’ Keene’s lights out’ if he were further interfered with. To the journalist his ‘lights’ were indispensable; in no sense of the word did he possess too many of them; so it was clear that he must abdicate his tutorial functions. Alice implored her brother to come and ‘do something.’