He wished that he could have consulted Jake, but yet it would have been difficult to put his misgivings into definite words. Jake was a brick and understood most things, but he was away for another week at least.
The thought of the girl's father crossed his mind, only to be instantly dismissed. Even if he had been within reach, Captain Larpent's sternly unapproachable exterior would have held him back. He was inclined to like the man, but he could not feel that Toby's welfare was, or ever had been, of paramount importance to him. He had thoughts only for his yacht.
Bunny began to reflect moodily that life was a more complicated affair than he had ever before imagined, and, reaching this point, he also reached the gate by the copse and became aware of cigar-smoke dominating the atmosphere above the scent of his own now burnt-out pipe.
He removed the pipe from his mouth and looked around him.
"Hullo!" said a voice he knew. "Do I intrude?"
Saltash stepped suddenly out of the shadow of the larches and met him with outstretched hand.
"Hullo!" said Bunny, with a start.
A quick smile of welcome lighted his face, and Saltash's eyes flashed in answer. He gripped the boy's hand with fingers that closed like springs.
"What are you doing here?" he said.
"Just what I was going to ask you," said Bunny. "I often come here in the evening. It's my favourite look-out. But you—"