Crispin looked black.
“How did he frighten you?” he asked shortly.
“He saw me looking through at him and some other men—dreadful looking men—who were talking together; and I think he was angry because I saw them. So he made me throw the rope down to him, and he came up, and he was very angry.”
And Freda shuddered at the recollection.
“He didn’t hurt you, threaten you, did he?”
She hesitated.
“Not much. Perhaps he didn’t mean to hurt me at all, only to frighten me. But I was frightened.”
And she hid her face against Crispin’s shoulder.
“Jealous brute, he shall suffer for this!” he muttered angrily. Turning to her suddenly again he asked: “Did you hear what the other men said? Did they frighten you?”
“I didn’t hear much, and none of them saw me except that one man. But, oh, Crispin, they are dreadful people! Why do you have anything to do with them?”