"It's nothing," she made answer. "It's nothing." And then desperately: "You--you didn't get--a telegram from Uncle Edward--last night?"
"I?" said Jake. "No. What should he wire to me for?"
She hesitated a second, then feverishly faced the danger that menaced her. "You--I expect you will find a message waiting for you. We--we had a disagreement yesterday. That's why I came away."
Jake's brows met abruptly. "Hasn't he been treating you properly?"
"Oh, it's not that. I--I can't tell you what it was. But--he said he should wire to you--to go to Liverpool."
Maud's hands clasped each other very tightly. She was striving with all her strength for composure. But she could not bring herself to look him in the face.
"And so you came away," Jake said slowly.
She nodded, swallowing down her agitation. "I didn't want to meet you--like that. I didn't know what was in the telegram."
Jake's fingers patted her knee gently. "And so you came back here for refuge! All right, my girl! You needn't be afraid. Uncle Edward may go to blazes. I shan't read that telegram."
He stooped with the words, picked up a fragment of burning stick that had fallen at her feet, and tossed it back into the flames.