“I will,” he said, smiling a little.  “You don’t often interfere with my liberty.  I remember old Melrose, met him years ago at Doncaster.  He’s always been keen on the Turf, and he stood by me once when—­someone—­was trying to queer my pitch.”

“Oh!” said Maud.  “You mean the time that Charlie let you down!  Poor Charlie!  He was horribly ashamed of himself afterwards.”

Toby looked up sharply, and again the colour came into her face, mounting swiftly to her forehead.  She appeared to be on the verge of hot speech, but no words came.

It was Jake who spoke in his soft, easy drawl.  “Oh, I guess he’s grown a bit since then.  Anyway, whatever his intentions, he never managed to do me any harm.  And I rather think his malice is dead now.”

“It died long ago,” said Maud quietly.  “He owes you a great deal, Jake.  You’ve taught him to be a man.”

“I?” said Jake.  “My dear, your partiality runs away with your judgment.  Have some ham!”

He dismissed the matter in his own calm fashion, and began to talk of his animals.  Breakfast proceeded, but Toby scarcely spoke and ate very little.

“It’s so hot to-day,” she said when presently Maud remonstrated with her.  “I can’t eat when it’s hot—­really.”  She pushed her plate away and rose from the table.  “Do you mind if I go?”

“Yes, I mind,” said Jake.  “Go and sit in that arm-chair and smoke a cigarette!  I shall be ready when you’ve finished.”

He held out his case to her, and, though she made a face at him, she yielded.  She threw herself down in the chair he indicated and smoked in silence.

Chops came and laid his head upon her knee, and she fondled his silken ears with an understanding touch.  But her eyes were fixed before her with something of hardness in their look.

Maud finished her breakfast and got up.  “I am going up to the nursery,” she said.  “Don’t hurry, Toby dear!  The children can run in the garden till you are ready.”

“I shan’t keep her long,” Jake said.

Toby turned in her chair with a sudden flare of defiance.  “I’d like to see any man who would keep me anywhere against my will!” she said.

Jake nodded.  “All right.  You can see him now if you want to.  Why did you go and ride that little devil Knuckle-Duster when I told you not?”

“I don’t take orders from you!” said Toby hotly.

“Oh yes, you do—­sometimes.”  The door closed softly behind Maud and Jake turned squarely to face the girl on his hearth.  “Say now,” he said in his slow direct way, “it was a fool thing to do.  You may as well admit it as not.”

Toby was on her feet.  She stood stiffly braced, but the colour had gone out of her face.  It was white and strained.

“All right,” she said, speaking quickly and nervously.  “But what of it?  I brought him back quite sound and none the worse.”

“I wasn’t thinking of the horse,” said Jake.  “He’s a savage brute and I doubt if we ever do much with him.  He’ll certainly never be fit for a lady to ride.  But that’s not the point either.  The point is, you did it against my orders.  And you dodged me to do it.  Isn’t that so?”