"May I make so bold 's t'a' ask why you come, without my permission begged for nor given?"
His voice was terrible to hear, so deep and yet so harsh, and vibrating with such implacable wrath.
"Will, I did it for your sake. I thought if I asked permission, you'd say no. So I dared to do it myself—feeling certain as life that you were done for if no help came—and I thought it was my duty to bring you the help if I could."
"Go on. I'm listening, an' I'm thinking all the time."
"I thought—Auntie thought so too—she advised it—that Mr. Barradine knowing me so long, ever since I was a girl, if I went direct to him—"
"Ah!" And he made a loud guttural noise, as if on the point of choking. "Ah—so's I supposed. Then I got a bull's-eye with my first thought to-night. So you went to him. Where?"
"At his house."
"Yes, right into his house. By yourself?"
"Yes."
"You didn't think to bring your aunt with you. Two was to be comp'ny at Mr. Barradine's. So in you go—alone—without my leave—behind my back."