‘Then come with me,’ said the patron of art, giving Alice his fat arm. Alf of the Buffs, who had arrived by the train, and on whose account dinner had been postponed, was the only other member of the party, and he had stretched himself at full length on the sofa with all the appearance of being asleep. The other people had gone away early; and Frank had Mrs. Rich and Nelly, in the intimacy of the domestic circle, all to himself. Old Rich took Alice quite to the other end of the great drawing-room, to the piano, which stood there, and the conversation went on with a distracting accompaniment of tunes and the clapping of hands, with which Alice’s audience hailed each air in succession. Frank’s attention in particular was sadly distracted,--he could neither listen nor stop listening; and yet the talk had taken a turn which, on the whole, was rather interesting. ‘How will your mamma bear your going away?’ said Mrs. Rich. ‘Her youngest;--I can feel for her. My eldest are married, and out in the world; and I know it’s best for themselves, and I don’t mind. But Alf and Nelly are my babies, just as you are your mother’s, Mr. Frank. What should I do, if any one came to carry my little girl off to the end of the world? And it will be harder still on your poor, dear mamma.’ ‘But I can’t help it,’ said Frank. ‘You know,--I suppose everybody knows,--the peculiarity in our circumstances. I can’t go on as I am doing. India’s the place when a man has no money. I don’t know what would become of me if I were to stay at home.’ ‘Well,--you might marry an heiress, you know,’ said Mrs. Rich. ‘Mamma,’ said Alf, from the sofa,--not asleep, though he looked like it,--‘if you have any heiresses in your pocket remember your own flesh and blood first of all; don’t turn them over to Renton;--he can manage for himself.’ ‘Oh, yes; I don’t doubt he can manage beautifully for himself,’ said Mrs. Rich, nodding her head; ‘but still he may be the better for a little advice. An heiress is the very thing for you, Mr, Frank. As for Alf, of course,--though I say it that shouldn’t,--he’ll be very well off, and a catch for any one; as you would have been, but for that fancy of your poor papa’s; Mr. Rich’s opinion has always been that his brain must have been touched. But that is the thing for you,--as clear as daylight. Marry a girl with money, and settle down at home; and don’t go and break your mother’s heart. You take my advice, and tell her it was I who gave it, and she’ll order her carriage directly, and come over to Richmont and hug me,--though she would not so much as call, you know, only for me.’ ‘Indeed you do her an injustice,’ said Frank; ‘she is a great invalid,--she never goes anywhere now.’