Whereupon Millie lost her temper for the third time that morning and on this occasion very thoroughly indeed.
"All right," she said, "that finishes it. You can have my month's notice, Victoria, as well as Mrs. Martin's—I've endured it as well as I could and as long as I could. I've been nearly giving you notice a hundred times. And before I do go let me just tell you that I think you're the greatest coward, Victoria, that ever walked upon two feet. How many secretaries have you had in the last two months? Dozens I should fancy. And why? Because you never support them in anything. You tell them to go and do a thing and then when they do it desert them because some one else in the house disapproves. You gave me authority over the servants, told me to dismiss them if they weren't satisfactory, and then when at last I do dismiss one of them you tell me I was wrong to do it. I try to bring this house into something like order and then you upset me at every turn as though you didn't want there to be any order at all. You aren't loyal, Victoria, that's what's the matter with you—and until you are you'll never get any one to stay with you. I'm going a month from to-day and I wish you luck with your next selection."
She had sufficient time to perceive with satisfaction Victoria's terrified stare and to hear the startled arrest of Clarice's sobs. She had marched to the door, she had looked back upon them both, had caught Victoria's "Millie! you can't——" The door was closed behind her and she was out upon the silent sunlit staircase.
Breathless, agitated with a confusion of anger and penitence, indignation and regret she ran downstairs and almost into the arms of young Mr. Baxter. Oh! how glad she was to see him! Here at any rate was a man—not one of these eternal women with their morbidities and hysterias and scenes! His very smile, his engaging youth and his air of humorous detachment were jewels beyond any price to Millie just then.
"Why! What's the matter?" he cried.
"Oh, I don't know!" she answered. "I don't know whether I'm going to laugh or cry or what I'm going to do! Oh, those women! Those women! Bunny—take me somewhere. Do something with me. Out of this. I'm off my head this morning."
"Come in here!" he said, drawing her with him towards a little poky room on the right of the hall-door that was used indifferently as a box-room, a writing-room and a room for Beppo to retire into when he was waiting to pounce out upon a ring at the door. It was dirty, littered with hat-boxes and feminine paraphernalia. An odious room, nevertheless this morning the sun was shining with delight and young Baxter knew that his moment had come.
He pushed Millie in before him, closed the door, flung his arms around her and kissed her all over her face. She pulled herself away.
"You . . . You . . . What is the matter with every one this morning?"
He looked at her with eyes dancing with delight.