"It's all different now that woman's gone," observed Mrs. Bolton. "It's the children now, Frank."
"Supposing it is, why am I to be dragged into it?"
"We must get him to go back to them."
Various feelings combined to make Mrs. Bolton very earnest.
"He wants to stay here, does he?"
"No, he hates being here now. Yes, he does. He only comes because he's got nobody else to speak to. And he's in awful dumps all the time. It's not very cheerful for me."
"I daresay not, Flora. But why doesn't he go back then?"
Mrs. Bolton had been moving about the room restlessly. Her back was to Caylesham as she answered:
"He won't. He says he can't. He says——"
Caylesham threw a glance at her, his brows raised.