“Then you _must_ marry him!” cried her mother resolutely. “I shall see your father at once.” “You’ll simply get yourself into trouble, mother dear.” “I’m not afraid of him now!” exclaimed Mrs. Richmond with militant eyes and nostrils. “He has made a fool of himself--and he knows it. I’ll not have all I’ve spent my life in building up torn down just because he is such a monstrous snob. Why should he object to a distinguished artist as a son-in-law? Why, Mr. Wade would be an addition to the family, socially.” And so on and on, Beatrice letting her mother rave herself into a fitting state of mind for a struggle with her husband. Whenever she paused Beatrice brought up the dressmaking to set her off again. And when she was about to leave Beatrice called in Valentine and presented her as “My partner, Miss Clermont.” Mrs. Richmond was quite done for. Her daughter’s maid treated as an equal--and become her daughter’s business partner! “I’ll telephone you to-night--or see you to-morrow,” said she as she was leaving. She did not dare offend Beatrice by ignoring “Miss Clermont.” So she made a bow that was a highly amusing specimen of those always amusing compromises which no sentient thing in the universe but the humorless human animal would attempt to carry off. XVIII MRS. RICHMOND REBELS For some time after her mother left Beatrice sat in a brown study, her ex-maid and partner seated across the table from her and not venturing to interrupt. At last, Beatrice said: “I don’t understand it at all. I’d never have believed mother would take it that way.” “You could hardly expect her to be pleased, Miss Richmond,” replied Valentine. “Oh, I knew she’d blow up and sail into me,” said Beatrice. “I’m puzzling over the way she acted about father. I never before knew her to revolt against him.” “Probably--when Mrs. Richmond sees him--” was Miss Clermont’s highly suggestive, unfinished comment. “No doubt,” said Beatrice. “And yet--Mamma was mad through and through--fighting mad. I never saw her like that--with him. I shouldn’t have believed it was in her. I suspect--I hope--she’ll make trouble.”