’Should you wish, Mrs. Higgins, to entrust your daughter to me entirely?’

’My dear Mrs. Rumford, it’s very little that my wishes has to do with it!  She’s made up her mind to leave ’ome, and all I can do is to see she gets with respectable people, which I feel sure you are; and of course I shall have your references.’

Emmeline turned pale at the suggestion.  She all but decided that the matter must go no further.

‘And what might your terms be—­inclusive?’ Mrs. Higgins proceeded to inquire.

At this moment a servant entered with tea, and Emmeline, sorely flurried, talked rapidly of the advantages of Sutton as a residence.  She did not allow her visitor to put in a word till the door closed again.  Then, with an air of decision, she announced her terms; they would be three guineas a week.  It was half a guinea more than she and Clarence had decided to ask.  She expected, she hoped, Mrs. Higgins would look grave.  But nothing of the kind; Louise’s mother seemed to think the suggestion very reasonable.  Thereupon Emmeline added that, of course, the young lady would discharge her own laundress’s bill.  To this also Mrs. Higgins readily assented.

‘A hundred and sixty pounds per annum!’ Emmeline kept repeating to herself.  And, alas! it looked as if she might have asked much more.  The reference difficulty might be minimised by naming her own married sister, who lived at Blackheath, and Clarence’s most intimate friend, Mr. Tarling, who held a good position in a City house, and had a most respectable address at West Kensington.  But her heart misgave her.  She dreaded her husband’s return home.

The conversation was prolonged for half-an-hour.  Emmeline gave her references, and in return requested the like from Mrs. Higgins.  This astonished the good woman.  Why, her husband was Messrs.  ’Iggins of Fenchurch Street!  Oh, a mere formality, Emmeline hastened to add—­for Mr. Mumford’s satisfaction.  So Mrs. Higgins very pompously named two City firms, and negotiations, for the present, were at an end.

Louise, summoned to the drawing-room, looked rather tired of waiting.

‘When can you have me, Mrs. Mumford?’ she asked.  ’I’ve quite made up my mind to come.’

‘I’m afraid a day or two must pass, Miss Derrick—­’

‘The references, my dear,’ began Mrs. Higgins.

‘Oh, nonsense!  It’s all right; anyone can see.’

’There you go!  Always cutting short the words in my mouth.  I can’t endure such behaviour, and I wonder what Mrs. Rumford thinks of it.  I’ve given Mrs. Rumford fair warning—­’

They wrangled for a few minutes, Emmeline feeling too depressed and anxious to interpose with polite commonplaces.  When at length they took their leave, she saw the last of them with a sigh of thanksgiving.  It had happened most fortunately that no one called this afternoon.

‘Clarence, it’s quite out of the question.’  Thus she greeted her husband.  ’The girl herself I could endure, but oh, her odious mother!—­Three guineas a week!  I could cry over the thought.’