She had of course made acquaintances since she had settled herself in London, and had, in her modest way, done her little part in adding to the gaiety of the great metropolis⁵. In this respect indeed Alaric's commencement of life had somewhat frightened Mrs. Woodward, and the more prudent⁶ of his friends. Grand as his official promotion⁷ had been, his official income at the time of his marriage did not exceed ?600 a year, and though this was to be augmented⁸ occasionally till it reached ?800, yet even with this advantage it could hardly suffice for a man and his wife and a coming family to live in an expensive part of London, and enable him to 'see his friends' occasionally, as the act of feeding one's acquaintance is now generally called.

 

Gertrude, like most English girls of her age, was at first so ignorant about money that she hardly knew whether ?600 was or was not a sufficient income to justify⁹ their present mode of living; but she soon found reason to suspect that her husband at any rate endeavoured to increase it by other means. We say to suspect, because he never spoke¹⁰ to her on the subject; he never told her of Mary Janes and New Friendships; or hinted that he had extensive money dealings in connexion with Undy Scott.

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