"I hope she's all right," said Maud, with a touch of anxiety.
"She's all right," said Jake.
"But why did she dodge you? Have you been quarrelling?" Maud paused in the act of opening her letter and looked at him with a grave questioning that brought a gleam of humour into Jake's eyes.
"We have not," he said. "I've scarcely seen her since yesterday morning.
I can't tell you why she dodged me. I only know she did it."
"How odd of her!" said Maud.
He sat down and took up the paper; his face was grim. "I shall know why presently. Read your letter. I'm in no hurry."
Maud opened the letter from Saltash and there fell a brief silence.
It was broken by the sound of light feet outside the door, and Toby, still wearing riding-dress, her face flushed and laughing, swung into the room. "I'm so sorry I'm late," she said. "The little fiend ran away with us, and we had a gigantic tussle. Do you mind if I sit down in these things?"
She went round to Maud to kiss her, and stopped as Maud's arm came about her.
"Do you mind?" she said again.