Trouble had been brewing for several months. In spite of Rivière's confident assertion that he and Georgina would ‘easily come to an understanding’ where pecuniary matters were concerned, there were continual wrangles over money. Though she had not been promised any fees, Georgina expected Rivière to refund the money she paid out (without consulting him) for printing music, advertising and other expenses. When he grumbled, she told him to be quiet. They continued to disagree on the size and composition of the choir. Rivière had left the auditioning of the singers to Georgina, but later claimed that she had never refused to let anyone join, and that they all ‘sang like parrots’. Georgina still insisted that she could sing better than any professional ‘star’ and told Rivière that members of her choir, such as Einar Saemundsen, were perfectly capable of singing solos. The Icelander could sing songs in his native language, and would be an attraction, as ‘people would expect him to come on to the platform in skins, in a sleigh, and with Esquimaux dogs!’ Rivière was not enthusiastic.

They also argued about the music stall, the concert programmes, the number of free tickets to be given to members of the choir, and the dresses for the female singers. Georgina was sure that extensive advertising was still needed, and took every opportunity to send out information on Spiritualism and the Lunacy Laws with the choir circulars. Rivière told her to stop, informing her that he was not prepared to advertise her ‘private affairs’ during his concerts. Ignoring him, she ordered 50,000 envelopes with advertisements relating to the Lunacy Laws printed inside them and sent 25,000 of them to Rivière. He refused to use them. Georgina's relentless attention-seeking was making him increasingly unhappy and he was beginning to feel that the notoriety that had attracted him to her in the first place had become a liability. One day in August she informed him, ‘The newspapers are full of me. I have been to three police courts today, and have blown up two magistrates as they deserve’ He replied:

I do not know if your friends approve your line of conduct, and whether they encourage you to run after this police court celebrity, but all I can tell you is, it does you the greatest harm in the artistic world.