CHAPTER IX
THE INVITATION
Saltash did not come to her on the following day, and for her own sakeshe was thankful that he did not. But the problem of her mother'sdifficulties had begun to vex her sorely. Without communicating withhim, she knew that it could not be solved. He had given his promise tohelp her, yet somehow she did not feel the task before her to be a veryeasy one. Charlie was so curiously elusive in some respects. It wasnot always a simple matter to detach him from the whim of the moment.And she had many a time heard him declare that he was not a businessman.
She watched the post with nervous anxiety, but nothing came for her.She was relieved to have nothing to conceal, but her mother's anxietiesweighed upon her. She hesitated to write to Charlie, but told herselfshe would have to do so if no word came from him. It was all highlyunsatisfactory, and behind her uneasiness there lurked a deep sense ofself-reproach, self-distrust. She had suffered him to go too far, toofar. It might be difficult to recover a normal footing. It might be hewas even now planning some deep game, some master-stroke to follow upthe advantage he had gained and win her for his own.
He would not succeed. He could not succeed. She would not so much asallow her thoughts to wander in that direction. She had been mad thatnight. There had been witchery in the very air. But now she was awaketo the crude realities of life, awake and sane and bitterly ashamed ofher weakness. He might plot and intrigue, but he could not overthrowher reason a second time. The madness had passed, and it would notreturn. But the necessity for seeing him remained, and it was an urgentone. She found it hard to wait in inactivity.
The whole day passed without a sign from him, and her patience began towear thin. Surely, surely he could not fail to keep that solemn promiseof his! Surely he could not have forgotten--or be waiting for her tomake the first move!
She went for a walk on the down with Capper in the evening. She did notgreatly want to go. She was a little afraid of his shrewd insight. Butshe found that she had no cause for fear. He was full of kindlycommonplace topics, and he touched upon no intimate subject whatever.She returned from the walk feeling soothed and refreshed.
They went through the training-field on the way back, and here they cameupon Jake, giving Bunny his first riding-lesson. It was good to see theboy's eagerness, his flushed face and shining eyes. He was utterlyfearless and even impatient of Jake's care.
They stood awhile and watched, then turned and walked up through thegarden.
"He is very happy," Maud said.
Capper smiled. "Jake is an A1 companion for him, Mrs. Bolton. He isthrice lucky to be in the care of a man like Jake."
She agreed without enthusiasm. "Yes, Jake is very kind."
"That's so. And he won't spoil him either. Also," Capper spoke withemphasis, "he'll never learn anything that isn't clean and straight fromJake. Guess he'll make a fine man some day."
"Thanks to you, Doctor!" Maud said.
"No, madam. Thanks to Jake! My part was a very small one. I am just amechanic; but Jake is a driver of engines--a maker of men."
Maud said nothing, and he changed the subject.
They lingered in the garden till Jake and Bunny joined them; then theyseparated, Bunny, contrary to custom, attaching himself to Maud, andJake taking possession of Capper.
Brother and sister ascended the steps into the house and entered theparlour. Bunny was still flushed and excited. Life was full ofabsorbing interest to him. He had actually been off the leading reinmost of the time,--yes, and he had cantered too. Jake said he was to goand have a warm bath and then do his time on the floor. It was a greatbore, but he supposed he'd have to. What was Maud looking so sickabout? Wasn't she well?
This amiable enquiry was made just as Maud's eyes had fallen upon aletter lying on the table. She almost snatched it up, and then foundwith a mingling of relief and disappointment that it was not fromSaltash.
The crabbed writing was wholly unfamiliar to her. She stood gazing at itwhile her sudden agitation subsided.
"Who's it from?" said Bunny, coming to peer over her shoulder."Liverpool post-mark. Why, that's from that queer old codger who wasdown here in the winter, I'll bet. What on earth does he want?"
"To be sure--Uncle Edward," Maud said.
She opened the letter with Bunny looking on. They read it together.
"MY DEAR GRAND-NIECE,
"I am pleased to acknowledge your letter of the 4th inst., and I writeto inform you that I shall be delighted to receive you and your brotheron whatever date it may suit you to come. I am glad to hear of thelatter's excellent progress. I presume you are capable of keeping himin order. You will of course be prepared to find your ownentertainment. Should your worthy husband care to join the party by anychance, I have room for all.
"Your affectionate uncle, "EDWARD WARREN."
"Holy Christopher!" ejaculated Bunny. "What on earth did you want towrite to him for? I'm not going there,--jiggered if I am! And to betied to your apron-strings too,--not much!"
Maud folded the letter. "I thought you might like to go away with mefor a little," she said.
He stared at her. "What! Away from Jake? Not--much!"
She tried to smile. "You're not very flattering, Bunny."
Bunny was still staring. "I can't think what's come to you! Jake's thebest chap in the world, and yet you don't seem to get on with him. Say,what the blazes is the matter with you anyway?"
She bit her lip. "I wish you wouldn't be so horribly imitative, Bunny.You never used to talk like that."
Bunny flared up on the instant. "I'll talk as I damn' well please!It's no affair of yours. As to leaving Jake, I'm hanged if I will! Youcan jolly well go by yourself!"
"And as to behaving like a beastly bounder, you'll apologize for itbefore you leave this room," a soft voice said.
Both started violently. Jake had come up the steps from the garden. Hewalked over to the mantelpiece, searched for and found a box of matches;then turned.
"If we were alone, my son, I'd punch your head for you. Maud is quiteright. You've no call to talk like a cowboy. Now apologize--quick!"
But Bunny stood sullenly silent.
Maud turned to the door. "Pray don't trouble to make him do that!" shesaid. "I am accustomed to cowboy manners."
The door closed upon her, and in the same instant Jake's hand closedupon Bunny's shoulder.
"Go after her!" he commanded, "Catch her up, and say you're sorry!"
But Bunny resisted him. "I won't, Jake. I'm not sorry. And I won't goand stay with Uncle Edward. There! If you send me, I'll run away."
Jake shook him. "I'll be mad with you in a minute, my son. Go afterher, do you hear? Go after her and make it up before she startscrying!"
"She won't cry!" said Bunny incredulously. "She never does."
Jake swung him round to the door. "Bunny, don't you be a skunk! If youdon't go, there'll be trouble--bad trouble."
"But it was her fault!" protested Bunny, stung to remonstrance. "Sheset on to me first."
"I don't care whose fault it was," said Jake. "You're to go."
Bunny writhed in his hold. "You're beastly unfair, Jake. If I do go, Ishan't apologize."
"You won't?" said Jake.
"No, I won't!" There was a faint note of apprehension in Bunny's voice,notwithstanding its defiance. He stood up to Jake, but his eyelidsquivered ever so slightly. His hands opened and shut in the old nervousfashion.
Jake was holding him fast. "Think it over!" he said. "Think it over!"
His voice was steady, his grip inflexible. His eyes never left theboy's hot face. They held a stern warning that could not be ignored.
Bunny straightened himself to meet it. "I suppose you'll thrash me," hesaid. "Well,--you must, that's all."
A faint gleam crossed Jake's face. It was hardly a smile, and was goneon the instant. "No, I shan't thrash yo
u," he said. "Now, will yougo?"
And Bunny capitulated, struck his colours unconditionally, flung hisarms round his brother-in-law's shoulders. "All right, Jake. I'll go,old man. I'll go. Don't look so confoundedly grim!"
Jake held him back with one hand on his rough dark head. "Be off withyou, boy! I'll see you later--maybe when you're in bed. Go now!"
He smiled upon Bunny, for there were tears in the boy's eyes, patted himon the back, and turned to go as he had entered.
Ten seconds later Bunny was beating a rousing tattoo on his sister'sdoor. "Say, Maud, let me in--quick--quick!"
He wriggled at the handle, for the door was locked, and, meeting with noresponse, beat again.
"Maud, I say, let me in! I've come to say I'm sorry. Don't be waxy, oldgirl! Open the door!"
There came a lagging footstep. The key turned, Bunny burst into theroom headlong.
"You're not crying, are you? I knew you weren't. There! It's allright, isn't it? What makes you so touchy, nowadays? You never used tobe."
Her arms held him tightly in a mute embrace. She kissed him with ayearning tenderness.
Bunny drew back and looked at her with sudden, close attention. "Maud,what's the matter? Tell me what's the matter!"
She was smiling, a strangely drawn smile. Not for the first time hebecame conscious of the veil of reserve that hung between them. Hestrove with it indignantly, seeking to tear it aside.
"Maud, tell me, I say! You would have told me in the old days."
She caught back an involuntary sigh. "You were older then, Bunny."
"I wasn't!" he declared. "What rot!"
"Ah well," she said gently, "things were different in those days."
And suddenly there came to Bunny--Bunny who had lain and watched life solong that his eyes had grown tired with watching--one of the old shrewdflashes of enlightenment, solving the mystery.
He held her very tightly, his face burning red. "Say, Maud--old girl,is it--is it--I know what it is!"
"Don't, Bunny!" she whispered inarticulately.
He kissed her with the warmth of renewed understanding. "That's whyJake's so beastly worried about you. Poor old boy! He's getting aslean as Chops. Have you noticed?"
She had not. They sat down together on an ottoman near the window,Bunny's arm protectingly around her.
"He sent me up after you in such a hurry because he was afraid you weregoing to cry," he went on. "He was furious with me for vexing you.Poor old Jake!"
A curious little pang of resentment went through her. "You seem to thinkhe is very much to be pitied," she said.
"I do," said Bunny instantly. "He looks so down in the mouth nowadays.I saw it directly I came home. He's got a sort of hurt look at the backof his eyes, as if he wasn't getting on with himself. I sometimes wishyou'd be a bit kinder to him, Maud. I'm sure he mopes."
This was a point of view so new to Maud that she hardly knew how toregard it. Somehow it had never occurred to her that Jake could takeher attitude to heart, Jake who trampled down all rebellion with somerciless a heel. She had always told herself that Jake had all hereally wanted. That he was aware of any need of the spirit she had neverseriously believed. Bunny's assertion brought to mind Mrs. Wright'skindly assurance that there was a whole lot of reserve in Jake; and forthe first time the old woman's words recurred to her. "He won't showyou his heart so long as he thinks you've no use for it." Was there ameasure of truth in those words? She wondered. She wondered.
"Guess I must be going," said Bunny. "I've got to have a bath. Youmight turn on the water for me like a brick while I go and undress."
There was subtle tact in the suggestion. Bunny knew--none better--thatto wait upon him was his sister's dearest privilege, and he judged byher sad face that it was time to change her thoughts.
When he arrived in the bath-room a few minutes later, he foundeverything put ready for his comfort, and Maud waiting to turn off thewater at his command. He was attired in a large bath towel which heheld artistically draped about his person. He thrust a bare, warm armabout her neck.
"Thanks, old girl. You're jolly decent to me! I don't know how Imanaged to be such a beast. Guess my temper must have got warped in itsyouth. By the way, there's a letter for you from Charlie on mydressing-table. He told me to give it to you when we were alone. Isuppose it's something to do with the mother's affairs."
"Oh, perhaps," Maud said; and she hoped he did not note her sudden startor the quick flushing of her face. "When did you see him?"
"He came up the garden way this evening just before I went riding withJake. You were out with Dr. Capper. He was in rather a decent mood,"said Bunny. "He gave me half a sovereign. Not a bad sort--Charlie."
He began to emerge from the enveloping towel, and Maud turned to go.
"You can stay if you like," said Bunny graciously. "I've no wish to makea stranger of you."
But she smiled and declined the invitation. "You do better without menow," she said.
And as the boy's small thin figure slipped down into the bath, she wentout and crossed the passage swiftly to his room.
The letter from Charlie was not on his table, but tossed carelessly onthe bed with his clothes. She shivered at the thought that Jake, andnot she, might have found it there. The purple crest stood outconspicuous on the white envelope--a fox's head with the motto: Sansvertu, underneath. She wondered what wild ancestor of his had designedthe cynical device.
Her hands were trembling as she tore open the flap. She was impatient,yet half-afraid. Her heart throbbed hard at sight of the dashing scrawlonce so familiar and so dear.
"_Ma belle reine des roses;_"--her heart throbbed a little faster. Theold sweet name, how it brought back to her those free, happy days of heryouth! How she marvelled now at the high, girlish pride that had senthim away. How cruel had been the cost of that same pride!
She read on. It was a characteristic epistle, half-mocking,half-tender, throughout. Would she meet him again? But of course shewould! Had she not said that he could serve her? But they would notrisk another interruption. Would she be going to the Graydown races? Ifnot, he would manage to return early and come to her by the garden way.They would thus be sure of at least half an hour together before anyoneelse got back. He seemed confident that she would not refuse, and sheknew, even as she read, that she could not. She must see him somehow.She must somehow get back to normal relations with him. She could notsacrifice his friendship to that one night's madness. Besides, therewas her mother.
A trampling of hoofs in the yard below drew her to the window. Shelooked forth.
It was the Albatross being led out of his stable for the evening canter.
Dick Stevens held the bridle. He wore a heavy, glowering look. Sheremembered--and the memory seemed to scorch her--that morning after herwedding-day when she had stood and listened in petrified horror to Jakepouring forth terrible invective upon the lad's head.
He was standing by now, watching with a frown, as though the boy'smovements displeased him; and even as she looked he went forward andtook the bridle into his own hand.
Stevens stood aside sullenly, while he readjusted the bit with set lips.The Albatross nozzled against him, and after a few moments Jake's handwent to his pocket and brought forth a piece of sugar.
Then, while the animal munched it, he turned round upon the sulkystable-boy and spoke.
"If any harm comes to him through any damn' carelessness of yours, Iwarn you,--and I'm a man of my word--I'll leather you to a jelly, if itcosts me fifty pounds."
His words were quiet, but absolutely distinct. His right hand was hardgripped on his riding-whip.
Stevens slunk back a step, not speaking, his face crimson and defiant.
Maud at the upper window clasped her hands suddenly and very tightlyupon the letter they held. Yes, he was a man of his word. And what ifhe kept that other promise he had made to her? Life alone on a ranchwith Jake! Her whole being rose in rev
olt at the thought. She turnedaway with a shudder.