“I see,” said Clifford.
“Just there is where I want you to help me. Jack likes you. I want you to see a lot of him—help keep him working—help keep him straight.”
Clifford stared at her. Her calm audacity was almost unbelievable—and yet it was just like Mary Regan.
“I’ll help you,” he said after a moment. “Is there any special source of danger you fear?”
“Only the general situation. Everything depends on Jack’s being a man. Just now I can’t help him much; and Jack—you understand—is likely to go in the direction of the person who is nearest him.”
“I’ll do what I can,” said Clifford.
Then, for the first time since his entrance, she showed emotion. Impulsively she thrust out her hand and clasped his.
“Thank you!” she said.
CHAPTER XX
CLIFFORD’S NEW ASSIGNMENT
When Clifford left her, though still amazed at the task she had set him, he was more occupied with a new possibility—Life worked so strangely!—that had come upon him during their talk. Had Mary, through her scheming to achieve worldly place and fortune by means of Jack, come by slow degrees and perhaps unknown to herself to have a real responsibility toward Jack? And if so, how would she react under that responsibility if ever a crisis should arise?