CHAPTER II
MAUD BOLTON
Someone was singing a baby lullaby very softly in the beautiful room withthe bay window that looked straight over the rolling down. It was a verysweet voice that sang, and sometimes the low notes were a littletremulous as though some tender emotion thrilled through the song. Thesinger was lying back in a rocking-chair close to the bay-window with herbaby in her arms.
Beyond the long, undulating slope there stretched a silver line of seathat gleamed with a still radiance in the light of the dying day. AndMaud Bolton, who once had been that proud and desolate girl Maud Brian,gazed out upon it with happy, dreaming eyes. It had been a hot spring dayand she was tired, but it was a pleasant weariness, and the little bodythat nestled on her breast brought sheer rapture to her woman's heart. Itwas the baby boy for whom for years she had longed in vain.
There came a slight sound at an open door behind her that led to anotherroom. She turned her head with a quick smile.
"Jake!"
He came, treading softly, and stood beside her. The failing light on hisrugged face showed it strangely softened, almost transformed.
He stooped after a moment and kissed her. "Why isn't the little 'un inbed?" he said, with his eyes on the sleeping baby-face.
The smile still lingered about her lips. "I thought he and I would bothof us have a little treat tonight. Do you know he is six months oldtoday?"
Jake's square fingers caressed the baby's placid forehead. "Yes, I know,"he said.
Maud uttered a faint sigh. "And so--according to the law of the Medes andPersians--he is not going to sleep with his mother any longer. He is tobe banished to the nursery. But I thought I would put him to sleepfirst."
Jake's look came to her face. "There's no law that I know of," he said inhis slow way. "Keep him in here if you want to!"
She lifted her eyes to his--beautiful eyes, deeply violet. "Thank you,Jake. But it's all settled, and he won't mind."
"He doesn't matter so much," said Jake.
She smiled and laid her cheek against his arm. "No, it's all right. Nurseunderstands him. I won't have him again unless he's ill. I should have tothen."
"Of course," said Jake. He bent down. "Let me have him! I'll take him tothe nursery."
"Ah, don't wake him!" she said.
Jake's arms encompassed the little bundle and lifted it from her. Thebaby made a small noise that sounded like a protest, but he did not openhis eyes.
"Don't you come!" said Jake. "I'll fix him."
And with light tread he bore his son away. Maud looked after him with atouch of wistfulness, but she did not move, and in a few minutes he cameback to her, knelt beside her, and gathered her strongly into his arms.
"My girl!" he said softly. "My own girl!"
She clasped him round the neck, laying her head against him withoutwords.
"Tired?" he said.
"No--no--not really! Too happy to complain anyway." She spoke in awhisper as if unwilling to break her silence.
"You want more help," he said.
She lifted her face and kissed his neck. "No, Jake dear. I don't want thechildren taken out of my hands entirely. Whatever should I do withoutthem?"
"Look after me for a change," suggested Jake.
She laughed a muffled laugh with her lips raised to his. "Do I neglectyou, Jake?"
"No," he said. "You're the best wife a man ever had. I believe I'm firstwith you--even now."
"Always--always first," she whispered against the lips that pressed herown.
He held her very closely to him for a space in silence. He had loved herwith a fiery worship from the first moment of their meeting, but thewealth of her answering love still filled his soul with wonder. Over andover again he would tell himself that he was not her sort, but when heheld her thus throbbing against his heart, he knew beyond all questioningthat they were one.
"You haven't told me a single thing about today's meeting," she murmuredpresently.
Jake began to smile. "On my soul I had forgotten all about it. PrinceCharlie has gained his first laurels. He won by two and a half lengths."
"Oh, Jake, how splendid! How proud you must be! I'm tremendously glad.And what about Charlie? Was he there to see his namesake carry all beforehim?"
"Saltash, do you mean? Yes, he was there." Jake's tone was somewhat dry.
Maud drew back a little to look at him. "I hope you asked him to dine,"she said.
"Oh yes," said Jake, with a touch of grimness. "Bunny saw to that on yourbehalf. He considers--and with reason--that you have a right to askwhoever you like to your own house."
"Jake!" Maud suddenly sat upright, her eyes burning like stars. "If Bunnysaid that--"
"He didn't," said Jake.
"Or hinted it even--it was perfectly hateful of him! I shall go and tellhim so!"
Maud made as if she would release herself from his hold, but herestrained her.
"No--no, my girl! You keep calm! I can hold my own with Bunny, and hedidn't mean any harm. I asked Saltash all right, and he's coming."
"Against your will," said Maud.
"No. Against my judgment, maybe. Not against my will. I've no objectionto entertaining him if you wish it. You and I don't quarrel over trifleslike Saltash."
Jake's tone was humorously tender. He patted her flushed cheek in aconciliatory fashion. She turned very swiftly and kissed his hand.
"Thank you, Jake--darling. But--you are master in this house, remember.No one enters it without your consent."
"Not even Saltash?" smiled Jake.
"Not even--Bunny!" said Maud, still breathing resentment.
He took her gently by the shoulder. "Look here, my girl! I won't have yousay a word to the boy about this, see? I didn't know you'd flare up likethat or I shouldn't have spoken. He didn't mean it that way. If he had,I'd have punched his head. And after all," his eyes smiled suddenly intohers, "I do live on my wife's bounty, don't I? Wouldn't I be driving cowson the other side of the Atlantic without it?"
"No," Maud said. "You'd be owning your own ranch by this time,and--and--and generally licking creation, Jake, as only you know how."
"Oh, shucks!" said Jake softly, and kissed her again upon the lips. "I'dsooner be here anyway. Well, Saltash is coming, so we've got to make thebest of it. I shouldn't care a cuss if it weren't for young Bunny. Buthe's always been keener on his lordship's company than I've thoughtadvisable."
"Oh, Jake," she said, colouring a little, "I don't believe Charlie woulddo him any harm."
"Not intentionally perhaps," said Jake. "I've no ill feeling for him,heaven knows, but I can't say I think his society likely to have a veryimproving effect upon anyone."
"I don't think you quite understand him," Maud said thoughtfully.
Whereat Jake laughed so suddenly that she looked at him with raisedbrows. He got to his feet, still laughing.
"Very likely not. We've had a good many misunderstandings, he and I, fromthe day I cowhided him for a scoundrel to the day I nearly shot him for ablackguard."
"Oh, but that was all so long ago," Maud said quickly. "He wasn't muchmore than a boy in those days. He has grown a lot since then."
Jake grunted. "Which way, think you? Well, I must dress. He may be herebefore we're ready for him."
He turned to go back to his own room, but Maud stayed him for a moment."Jake," she said almost wistfully, "you know--with all his faults--healways had--possibilities."
"I know," Jake said, looking down at her. "He's made the most of 'emtoo."
Her face quivered. "Don't," she said. "It--isn't it rather ungenerous tocondemn a man unheard?"
Jake made a faint sound of contempt or scepticism, but no reply in words.
She drew herself up out of her chair by his arm. "Jake, I want you to dosomething for me."
"Well?" said Jake uncompromisingly.
She met his look unswervingly. "Let me be a friend to him tonight! Let mebe alone with him and find out--if he will tell me--whether there is anytruth in
this rumour that there was a woman on board the yacht."
"And when you've found out?" said Jake.
She made a little gesture of appeal. "Will you leave that to me? I havesometimes felt that I might be--a help to him if ever there came anopportunity. Jake, you don't mind my trying to help him? I have a feelingthat I understand him better than most people do."
"I think it's a wasted sentiment," Jake said. "But--do what seems good toyou, my girl! I shan't interfere."
"And you won't be vexed?" she pleaded.
He smiled his sudden, illumining smile. "No, I reckon you'll never vex meany that way again," he said.
She went close to him. "Indeed--no, Jake! But--don't you understand? Ihate to go against your wishes--your prejudices--in anything."
He put out a hand to her. "You needn't be afraid of that either," hesaid. "If you do it--it's right."
She clasped the strong hand tightly in both her own. "That's the bestthing you've ever said to me," she said. "Are you quite sure you meanit?"
"Sure," said Jake, and pulled her to him to kiss her once again.