“Why not?”

“Because, my dear, it isn’t good for her.”

“I should have thought,” Maisie said, “it was very good for both of them, as they like each other.  I should never dream of interfering with their friendship.  That’s the way people get themselves thoroughly disliked.  I don’t want Jerry to dislike me, or Anne, either.  I like them to feel that if he is married they can go on being friends just the same.”

“Oh, of course, if you like it——­”

“I do like it,” said Maisie, firmly.

Firm opposition was a thing that Adeline’s wilfulness could never stand.  It always made her either change the subject or revert to her original statement.  This time she reverted.

“My point was that it isn’t fair to Anne.”

“Why isn’t it?”

“Because she’s in love with him.”

“That,” said Maisie, with increasing decision, “I do not believe.  I’ve never seen any signs of it.”

“You’re the only person who hasn’t then.  It sticks out of her.  If it was a secret I shouldn’t have told you.”

“It is a secret to me,” said Maisie, “so I think you might let it alone.”

“You ought to know it if nobody else does.  We’ve all of us known about Anne for ages.  She was always quite mad about Jerrold.  It was funny when she was a little thing; but it’s rather more serious now she’s thirty.”

“She isn’t thirty,” said Maisie, contradictiously.

“Almost thirty.  It’s a dangerous age, Maisie.  And Anne’s a dangerous person.  She’s absolutely reckless.  She always was.”

“I thought you thought she was in love with Colin.”

“I never thought it.”

Maisie hated people who lied to her.

“Why did you tell Jerrold they were lovers, then?” she said.

“Did I tell Jerrold they were lovers?”

“He thinks you did.”

“He must have misunderstood what I said.  Colin gave me his word of honour that there was nothing between them.”

But Maisie had no mercy.

“Why should he do that if you didn’t think there was?  If you were mistaken then you may be mistaken now.”

“I’m not mistaken now.  Ask Colin, ask Eliot, ask Anne’s father.”

“I shouldn’t dream of asking them.  You forget, if Jerrold’s my husband, Anne’s my friend.”

“Then for goodness sake keep her out of mischief.  Keep her out of Jerrold’s way.  Anne’s a darling and I’m devoted to her, but she always did love playing with fire.  If she’s bent on burning her pretty wings it isn’t kind to bring her where the lamp is.”

“I’d trust Anne’s wings to keep her out of danger.”

“How about Jerrold’s danger?  You might think of him.”

“I do think of him.  And I trust him.  Absolutely.”

“I don’t.  I don’t trust anybody absolutely.”

“One thing’s clear,” said Maisie, “that it’s time we had tea.”

She got up, with an annihilating dignity, and rang the bell.  Adeline’s smile intimated that she was unbeaten and unconvinced.