"He isn't here, Angus. He has gone. I want to know what happened."
"It will not be pleasant for you to hear."
"I must know."
As he told her, her face grew white with anger.
"I knew he was a brute—a cur!" she said. "But this is too much."
"Yes, it is too much," he agreed gravely. "I am sorry, because he is your brother, but it has come to a finish between Blake and me."
"I understand," she said with equal gravity. "I do not feel that he is my brother. But they have all gone together, and I may as well tell you why."
He listened, frowning. He did not care about Braden, to whom he attributed the attempt of Blake and Garland to recover Faith's deeds. But if Blake had gone with the other boys it meant that they would all stand together. It was feud, then, at last, unavoidable. But his purpose was unchanged.
"They don't know," Kathleen said, "that Blake laid hands on Faith. If they had known, they would not help him. They are bad enough but at least they are men."
He nodded silently. There was no doubt of that. Kathleen raised her head, listening. He became aware of a distant sound.