“Dan had a letter,” he explained. “She’s very bad.”
“Isn’t it horrible!” she exclaimed, her face crumbling up with fear.
The old woman, evidently a hard-used, rather down-trodden workman’s wife, came in with two soup-plates. She glanced anxiously to see how her daughter was progressing with the visitor.
“Mother, Dan’s been to see Maud,” said Elaine, in a quiet voice full of fear and trouble.
The old woman looked up anxiously, in question.
“I think she wanted him to take the child. She’s very bad, I believe,” explained Berry.
“Oh, we should take Winnie!” cried Elaine. But both women seemed uncertain, wavering in their position. Already Berry could see that his uncle had bullied them, as he bullied everybody. But they were used to unpleasant men, and seemed to keep at a distance.
“Will you have some soup?” asked the mother, humbly.
She evidently did the work. The daughter was to be a lady, more or less, always dressed and nice for when Sutton came in.
They heard him heavily running down the steps outside. The dogs got up. Elaine seemed to forget the visitor. It was as if she came into life. Yet she was nervous and afraid. The mother stood as if ready to exculpate herself.