THE TURNING-POINT

“You’ve brought her back!” said Bunny in amazement.  “You’ve actually brought her back!  Here, Jake?  Not here?”

“It was the only thing to do.” said Jake between puffs at his pipe.  “I’m sorry on your account, but—­well, you can keep out of her way.”

Bunny’s face was flushed.  He stood on the hearth and stared down at Jake with a troubled countenance.  “But you won’t be able to keep her,” he protested after a moment.  “Charlie will come and get her away again—­as soon as he knows.  He’s such a wily devil.”

“He does know,” said Jake.

“He knows?  Who told him?”

“I told him,” said Jake.

“You told him!  What the devil for?  I don’t understand you, Jake.”  Bunny’s tone had a touch of fierceness in it, almost of challenge.

Jake’s eyes came up to him with absolute steadiness.  “I told him,” he said deliberately, “because he is the one person who has a right to know.  He is her husband.”

“I don’t believe it!” said Bunny violently.  “He’d never marry her!  It was a damn trick if he pretended to.”

“No,” Jake said, “it was not a trick.  He has married her, and it’s up to him to make the next move.”

“But what on earth for?” demanded Bunny.  “What made him do such a thing?”

“God knows,” said Jake, with a certain sombreness.  “He did it.  That’s all I know.”

Bunny stamped round in a sudden fury and began to pace the room.  “I suppose he did it to defeat me!  Did he actually think I should want her after—­after—­”

“Bunny!” Swift and sharp as a whip-lash Jake’s voice cut across the words.  “Stop that!  Pull up and sit down!”

Bunny wheeled and came back in silence.  His face was deadly pale, but he sat down on the edge of the table by Jake’s side.

Jake reached out a leisurely hand and gripped him by the knee.  “Between you and me, my son,” he said, “I don’t think you came into the reckoning at all.  I can’t tell you exactly what happened, because I don’t know, but I’m pretty sure that Saltash married her from a somewhat stronger motive than just to put you out of the running.  As you say, he could have done that without taking all that trouble.  He’s treated you damn badly, I admit, but it’s just possible he couldn’t help himself, and anyway I don’t think he’s hurt you seriously—­except in the place where you keep your pride.”

“You think I didn’t love her!” broke in Bunny, moving restlessly under his hand.

Jake’s eyes had the glimmer of a smile as he met the boy’s hot look.  “I think you don’t love her now anyway, Bunny,” he said.

“You’re quite right,” said Bunny shortly.  “I don’t.  I never want to see her again—­now I know what she is.”

“You don’t know,” said Jake.  “She has always been an unknown quantity to you.  That’s why I’ve always felt doubtful about you.  Guess you never loved her quite enough, boy.  That was your trouble.”