“Yes—and they’re received.” But his tone was not all it might have been.
“You know the difference,” said she, in open contempt of his flimsy evasion. “They’re in but not of. We’re both in and of. And why?... Why?” she repeated fiercely. “Why are we in and of, in spite of the enemies you’ve made—in spite of the shady things you’ve done—in spite of——”
“Now, see here, Lucy—I’ve not complained of your way of managing your side of the family affairs. You’ve done very well.” This was said patronizingly, but with a mildness that, issuing from Daniel Richmond, made it sound almost like a whimper.
“And since I got the Earl of Broadstairs away from Sally Peyton and married him to Rhoda we’ve been right in the front rank. There aren’t but two big families that still hold out.”
“The Vanderkief marriage might have got them,” said Richmond.
“If Beatrice starts up as a dressmaker—with those two servants——”
“But—what can I do?” he interrupted violently. “She’s insane—insane!”
“It’s you that are insane, Dan,” cried his wife. “You knew the girl. You knew you’d made her hard to manage. Why did you goad her?”
“I suppose you’d have let her marry that painter fellow,” sneered the husband.
“Anything but such a scandal as this,” declared she. “And it’s got to be stopped!”