"He may have, and probably has, good grounds for shutting up the girl."
Gerald bit his lip, beginning to see that, with all his caution, he had made a dire mistake. "Then you won't help me?"
"No," said Mrs. Crosbie firmly, "how can you expect me to help you against Major Rebb, when we are engaged to be married? And how can you ask me to take charge of a girl who is mad?"
"She is not mad, I tell you."
"And I tell you that she is mad; otherwise Major Rebb certainly would not shut her up. What reason could he have to shut up a sane girl?"
It was on the point of Haskins' tongue to explain his theory, but having made one mistake--as he plainly saw from Mrs. Crosbie's attitude--he did not wish to make another. "You will keep your promise of silence?" he urged earnestly.
"Yes, on condition that you make no attempt to run away with the girl from that madhouse. I speak in your own interest. You will get into trouble if you take an insane woman from her lawful guardian."
"You seem to be quite certain that Mavis is mad," said Gerald bitterly, "however, as you know my secret, and I am at your mercy, I promise."
"I think that you are very ungrateful," cried Mrs. Crosbie, "many another woman would have declined to keep, what you call, the secret at all."
"I have made a mistake," confessed Gerald, and he could have kicked himself, that he, a man of the world, should be such a fool.