CHAPTER XII
THE ALLY
They found Maud awaiting them in the long low room that overlooked herfavourite view of the down. Saltash entered as one who had the right, andshe greeted him with momentary surprise but evident pleasure.
"I couldn't spend twenty-four hours at Burchester without calling uponyou," he said.
"You know you are always welcome," she made answer, with the smile whichonly her intimate friends ever saw.
They sat down by one of the wide French windows and General Melrose beganto occupy his hostess's attention. Sheila took a chair that Bunny pushedforward, and Saltash glanced round for Toby. She was sitting on the endof a couch, playing with the silky ears of the old red setter. Her hatwas flung down beside her; her pretty face downcast. He crossed to herdeliberately and bent also to fondle the dog.
She started slightly at his coming, and a faint flush rose in her cheeks;but she neither glanced at him nor spoke.
For the moment they were alone, unobserved by the laughing group at thewindow. Saltash bent suddenly lower. His quick whisper came down to her:
"Go and put on the most girlish thing you've got!"
She looked up at him then, her blue eyes seeking his. A rapid flash ofunderstanding passed between them. Then, without a word she rose.
When Maud looked round for her a few seconds later, Saltash was loungingalone against the sofa-head pulling Chops absently by the ear while hestared before him out of the window in a fit of abstraction that seemedto her unusual.
She called to him to join them at the tea-table, and he jerked himself tohis feet and came across to her with the monkeyish grin on his face thatshe had learned long since to regard as the shield wherewith he maskedhis soul.
He sat down by her side, devoting himself to her with the gallantry thatalways characterized him when with her. No one seemed to notice that Tobyhad disappeared. They talked about the horses, about Jake and his recentvictories, about the season at Fairharbour, about the Melroses' plans forthe winter.
When questioned by the General on this subject, Saltash declared airilythat he never made any.
"If I do, I never stick to them, so what's the use?" he said.
"How weak of you!" said Maud.
And he threw her the old half-tender, half-audacious look, and tossed thesubject banteringly away.
He was the first to make a move when the careless meal was over, but notto go. He sauntered forth and lounged against the door-post smoking,while Bunny and Sheila talked of tennis and golf, and Maud listened withwell-disguised patience to the old General's oft-repeated Frenchreminiscences.
And then when the tea was cold and forgotten and Sheila was beginning toawake to the fact that it was growing late, there came a sudden, ringinglaugh across the lawn and Toby scampered into view with little Mollyon her shoulder and Eileen running by her side. She was dressed in white,and she looked no more than a child herself as she danced across thegrass, executing a fairy-like step as she came. The tiny girl's tinklinglaughter mingled with hers. Her little hands were fondly clasped aboutthe girl's neck; she looked down into her face with babyish adorationwhile Eileen, the elder child, gazed upward with a more serious devotion.
General Melrose interrupted his narrative to look at the advancing trio."My Jove, Mrs. Bolton," he said, "but that's a pretty sight!"
Sheila also ceased very suddenly to converse with Bunny, while Saltashmade a scarcely perceptible movement as though he braced and restrainedhimself in the same instant.
"The prettiest picture I've seen for years!" vowed the General. "How thatlittle Larpent girl changes! She is like a piece of quicksilver. There'sno getting hold of her. How old is she?"
"She is nearly twenty," said Bunny with the swiftness of ownership.
"Nearly twenty! You don't say so! She might be fourteen at the presentmoment. Look at that! Look at it!" For Toby was suddenly whizzing like abutterfly across the lawn in a giddy flight that seemed scarcely totouch the ground, the little girl still upon her shoulder, the elderchild standing apart and clapping her hands in delighted admiration.
"Yes, she is rather like fourteen," Maud said, with her tender smile. "Doyou know what she did the other day? It was madness of course, and myhusband was very angry with her. I was frightened myself though I havemore faith in her than he has. She climbs like a cat, you know, and sheactually took both those children up to a high bough of the old beechtree; I don't know in the least how she did it. None of the party seemedto think there was any cause for alarm till Jake came on the scene. Hefetched them down with a ladder--all but Toby who went higher and peltedhim with beech nuts till he retreated--at my urgent request."
"And what happened after that?" questioned Saltash, with his eyes stillupon the dancing figure. "From what I have observed of Jake, I should saythat an ignominious retreat is by no means in his line."
Maud laughed a little. "Oh, Jake can be generous when he likes. He had itout with her of course, but he wasn't too severe. Ah, look! She is goingto jump the sun dial!"
Sheila turned to her. "Surely you are nervous! If she fell, the littleone might be terribly hurt."
"She won't fall," Maud said with confidence.
And even as she spoke, Toby leapt the sun dial, leaving the ground as abird leaves it, without effort or any sort of strain, and alighting againas a bird alights from a curving flight with absolute freedom and anatural adroitness of movement indescribably pleasant to watch.
"A very pretty circus trick!" declared the General, and even Bunny'sclouded brow cleared a little though he said nothing.
"A circus trick indeed!" said Sheila, as if speaking to herself. "How onearth did she do it?"
"She is like a boy in many ways," said Maud.
Sheila looked at her. "Yes. She is just like a boy, or at least--" Herlook went further, reached Saltash who lounged on Maud's other side, andfell abruptly away.
As Toby came up with the two children, all of them flushed and laughing,Toby herself in her white frock looking like a child just out of school,she rose and turned to Bunny.
"We ought to go now," she said. "I am going to fetch the car round forDad."
"I'll do it," he said.
But she went with him as he had known she would. They left the group atthe window and moved away side by side in silence as they had walked thatafternoon.
Saltash stood up and addressed Maud. "I'm going too. Bunny is dining withme tonight. I suppose you won't come?"
She gave him her hand, smiling. "I can't thank you. Ask me another day!You and Bunny will really get on much better without me."
"Impossible!" he declared gallantly, but he did not press her.
He turned to the General and took his leave.
Toby and the two children walked the length of the terrace with him, allchattering at once. She seemed to be in a daring, madcap mood and Saltashlaughed and jested with her as though she had been indeed the child shelooked. Only at parting, when she would have danced away, he suddenlystopped her with a word.
"Nonette!"
She stood still as if at a word of command; there had been something ofcompulsion in his tone.
He did not look at her, and the smile he wore was wholly alien to thewords he spoke.
"Be careful how you go! And don't see Bunny again--till I have seen him!"
A hard breath went through Toby. She stood like a statue, the twochildren clasping her hands. Her blue eyes gazed at him with a widequestioning. Her face was white.
"Why? Why?" she whispered at length.
His look flashed before her vision like the grim play of a sword. "Thatgirl remembers you. She will give you away. She's probably at it now.I'll see him--tell him the truth if necessary. Anyhow--leave him to me!"
"Tell him--the truth?" The words came from her like a cry. There was asudden terror in her eyes. He made a swift gesture of dismissal. "Go,child! Go! Whatever I do will make it all right for you. I'm standingby. Don't be afraid! Just--go!"
It was a definite comma
nd. She turned to obey, the little girls stillclinging to her. The next moment she was running lightly back with them,and Saltash turned in the opposite direction and passed out of sightround the corner of the house on his way to the stable-yard.