erly--wants to
earn her own living. But she's too young yet to fight the world.
Larpent's a rover, he'll never settle on land. She's never had any home
life, poor kid. And she wants it. You'll say it's like my damned cheek to
come to you, but on my life you and Maud are the only people I can think
of. There's my old friend Lady Jo--Mrs. Green as she prefers to be
called--but she isn't very strong just now. I can't bother her. Besides
she hasn't got a home like yours. She's up in town."

The jerky utterance came to an end. Saltash turned his head towards Jake,
watching him half furtively through the smoke.

There followed a silence of some duration. Jake's brows were slightly
drawn. He spoke at last, slowly and softly as his manner was. "Are you
suggesting that--Captain Larpent's daughter--should come to us?"

"She'd be useful enough," said Saltash in his quick, vehement way. "She'd
help Maud with the children. There's nothing she wouldn't do. It would be
a kindness on your part, and you wouldn't regret it. She's a taking
little thing. I'd like you to have her for a month, and if you don't want
to keep her after that--well--shunt her back on to Larpent. He'll be well
by that time. If he isn't--I'll look after her till he is."

"Who's looking after her now?" said Jake. "Where is she?"

Saltash pushed back his chair with a movement of impatience. "Did you
think I'd bring her to Burchester for all the county to blab about? She's
under my protection--and she's safe." He spoke with a certain fierceness,
and in a moment was pacing the room, his face arrogantly lifted. "I know
very well the sort of story that's going round, but if you're a white man
you'll help me to give it the lie. I know I'm a blackguard, Jake,--never
pretended to be anything else. But I hope I'm a gentleman as well--at
least where women are concerned. That child is none the worse in mind or
body for being thrown on my hands. You've got to believe that."

"All right," said Jake.

Saltash paced jerkily on, his hands behind him. "I want you to have her
because you're straight, and she'll come to no harm with you. You never
even parley with the devil, do you, Jake? Remember that time--it's ten
years ago, more--when a man tried to tempt you to tamper with one of your
horses and you horsewhipped him for his baseness."

"I prefer not to remember it, my lord," said Jake.

Saltash stopped suddenly by his chair and gripped his shoulder with a
wiry hand. "I'v