“Am I late?” she asked, laying a bundle of papers on the table beside Mrs. Fordyce.
“Twenty-five minutes ahead of luncheon,” answered Janet shortly.
“What have you here, Marjorie?” Mrs. Fordyce put her hand on the papers.
“Receipted bills,” Marjorie drew up her chair and sorted the papers carefully.
“The butcher, the baker, and the candlestick maker,” quoted Mrs. Fordyce, busily inspecting Marjorie. She saw her through new eyes, the eyes of a mother judging a possible daughter-in-law. Suddenly, she pressed her fingers against her eyes; the lids were wet with tears.
“If I were you, I would stop dealing with Jackson,” announced Marjorie, finding the particular bill she was searching for. “He calmly sent in an unitemized account, calling for seventy-five dollars, and when I insisted on going over his books, we found he had overcharged you eighteen dollars. I gave him the check Mr. Fordyce had made out for the larger sum on condition that he refund me the eighteen dollars. Here it is,” tumbling the money out on the table.
“You won’t be popular with the cook, Marjorie, if you have interfered with her rake-off,” snapped Janet. “What’s a few dollars to father?”
“Janet!” Mrs. Fordyce spoke in a tone that Marjorie had never heard before, and her daughter on but one other occasion. “You forget yourself strangely this morning; apologize at once to Marjorie for your unnecessary remark.”
“I meant no offense to Marjorie,” protested Janet. “I merely intended to say it was silly of her to interfere after things have been bought and paid for.”
“Your explanation strikes me as being worse than the offense,” Mrs. Fordyce was thoroughly aroused, and not heeding Marjorie’s attempt to restore peace, added, “I am grateful to Marjorie for saving me from a swindler; apparently you think because the amount is small that I should submit to being robbed. Let me tell you, Janet, that no one is so rich that he can stand being fleeced, and any woman who knowingly permits graft in her kitchen is worse than a fool. Never let me hear you again advocate condoning knavery.”