"It may be, Madam," the young man replied, "but I'll just ask him again, and we'll see how he answers. Say, Max! Do you say you don't know where she is?"
"I don't know where she is just now," the boy answered sullenly.
"Did you know a little while ago?"
"Oh, dear! Max is so sensitive. This sort of thing will quite upset him I'm sure," said Mrs. Deland.
The tall young man made no reply, but to Max he said:
"Tell us where she is, and we'll go and get her, but if you won't tell us, we'll take you along to show us the way. Which will you do?"
More tired than he would have cared to admit, Max dared not refuse to tell, for he had no desire to repeat the fearfully long walk that he had taken.
And when he told how little Gwen had declared herself unable to follow him, the disgust of his listeners was complete.
"So as the small girl was tired out with the long trip on which you had taken her, you left her to be a little tenant of the lonely wooded hilltop for the night!"
"A brave act, truly. Your mother must be proud of such a manly boy!" said a stout man who had joined the group.