"Say, Jake, come and see me presently, when--when you come up yourself!"
The request was proffered in an undertone with unmistakable nervousness. Jake looked him straight in the eyes.
"All right," he said.
The door closed upon Bunny, and there fell a silence.
Maud sat very still, her hands clasped in her lap. But there was no repose in her attitude, only a dumb tension that seemed to indicate suspense.
Jake leaned forward slowly, at length, took the cigarette from his mouth and dropped it into the heart of the fire. Then, without looking at her, he spoke.
"What's the matter with the little chap?"
She looked across at him quickly, from beneath eyelids that slightly fluttered. "Is there anything the matter with him? I didn't notice."
"He was nearly crying when he said good night, anyway," said Jake.
"Oh, was he! Perhaps he thought--perhaps he thought--you were vexed with him," murmured Maud.