‘It is very good of you to come so promptly, Major,’ he said earnestly, and at the same time endeavouring to assume a careless manner; ‘but I know that you have a regard for the Elliotts, and I am compelled to ask you to help them out of a confounded mess.’
‘The Elliotts in a mess!’ exclaimed Major Dawkins in amazement. ‘Which of them do you mean, the Elliotts of Todhurst or of Arrowby?’
‘Arrowby, of course,’ replied Willis, with an undercurrent of irritation. ‘They are staying at Todhurst just now, and Nellie and Stanley Maynard are there too. You know what a fool my sister’s husband John Elliott is, and he has worked himself up into a fit of the most ridiculous jealousy about Maynard and my sister. He is so wild about it that he spoke to me, and wanted me to interfere. I won’t, for he is a—— Well, I was going to make use of a strong expression; but you can put it down on your own account.’
‘He must have been making fun of you,’ returned the Major. ‘He knows that Maynard is engaged to Nellie.’
‘There was no fun at all about it. The fellow was as serious as a man could be. I laughed at him, and tried to reason with him; but it was no use, as you can understand. I should have left the thing to be settled between themselves—for I know Sophy can take care of herself—but he hinted something about having a detective to watch her; and you can guess what a general upset that might mean.’
‘The man must be mad.’
‘That is my opinion—at least, if he is not mad, he is on the borders of madness. I shouldn’t mind a bit if he himself were to suffer the consequences of this nonsense; but, you see, my sister Nellie and Maynard are all likely to get into trouble through his insanity. Will you help them out of it?—I can’t. If I say or do anything, it will be misunderstood.’
The Major was silent for a moment. He wished to serve his friends, and yet he was afraid that he, too, might be misunderstood. But he had such a sincere regard for the Elliotts, that he bravely resolved to do what he could to bring about an amicable arrangement.
‘I wish you had agreed to do it yourself,’ he said reflectively; ‘but as matters stand, perhaps it will be better for me to do it. I shall write at once to your sister—Mrs John—to her husband, and to Nellie. Then I shall get down to Todhurst as quick as possible; and I have no doubt that a few words of explanation will set everything right.’
The Major went to his club, and hurriedly wrote several letters. But whilst he was placing them in the envelopes, he was in deep perplexity, for who could tell what might be the result of this correspondence?