It was on one of these visits that he met Claude. The latter shook hands with him heartily, but seemed ill at ease.
“What’s wrong, young feller?” queried Jim.
Claude passed off the question with a laugh. Later, however he came to Jim.
“I’m sorry,” he said.
Jim looked at him from under his eyebrows. 93
“Look here, Jim,” said Claude impetuously, “can’t you make it up with Angela? It seems silly to prolong a quarrel.”
“Eh!”
The ejaculation made Claude start.
“Well, whatever you quarreled about, it can’t be much. Come along and see her now.”
His frank smile dissipated any suspicions in Jim’s mind. Claude actually didn’t know what was wrong with the Conlans! He believed it to be a mere marital squabble, that would blow over sooner or later.