The other glared in astonishment, which tended to wrath.

’But can’t you see, Mrs. Mumford, that it’s for your own good as well as ours?  Do you want people to be using your name—­’

‘What can it matter to me how such people think or speak of me?’ cried Emmeline, trembling with exasperation.

’Such people!  I don’t think you know who you’re talking about, Mrs. Mumford.  You’ll let me tell you that my friends are as respectable as yours—­’

‘I shall not argue about it,’ said Emmeline, standing up.  ’You will please to remember that already I’ve had a great deal of trouble and annoyance, and what you propose would be quite intolerable.  Once for all, I can’t dream of such a thing.’

’Then all I can say is, Mrs. Mumford’—­the speaker rose with heavy dignity—­’that you’re not behaving in a very ladylike way.  I’m not a quarrelsome person, as you well know, and I don’t say nasty things if I can help it.  But there’s one thing I must say and will say, and that is, that when we first came here you gave a very different account of yourself to what it’s turned out.  You told me and my daughter distinctly that you had a great deal of the very best society, and that was what Lou came here for, and you knew it, and you can’t deny that you did.  And I should like to know how much society she’s seen all the time she’s been here—­that’s the question I ask you.  I don’t believe she’s seen more than three or four people altogether.  They may have been respectable enough, and I’m not the one to say they weren’t, but I do say it isn’t what we was led to expect, and that you can’t deny, Mrs. Mumford.’

She paused for breath.  Emmeline had moved towards the door, and stood struggling with the feminine rage which impelled her to undignified altercation.  To withdraw in silence would be like a shamed confession of the charge brought against her, and she suffered not a little from her consciousness of the modicum of truth therein.

‘It was a most unfortunate thing, Mrs. Higgins,’ burst from her lips, ’that I ever consented to receive your daughter, knowing as I did that she wasn’t our social equal.’

‘Wasn’t what?’ exclaimed the other, as though the suggestion startled her by its novelty.  ’You think yourself superior to us?  You did us a favour—­’

Whilst Mrs. Higgins was uttering these words the door opened, and there entered a figure which startled her into silence.  It was that of Louise, in a dressing-gown and slippers, with a shawl wrapped about the upper part of her body.

‘I heard you quarrelling,’ she began. (Her bedroom was immediately above, and at this silent hour the voices of the angry ladies had been quite audible to her as she lay in bed.) ’What is it all about?  It’s too bad of you, mother—­’

‘The idea, Louise, of coming down like that!’ cried her parent indignantly.  ’How did you know Mr. Mumford wasn’t here?  For shame!  Go up again this moment.’