e. "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?"

"I didn't dodge you for that reason," said Toby. "I'd have done it
whether you'd been there or not."

"I think not," Jake said. "Anyway, you'll give me your word of honour
that you'll never ride that animal again."

"My what?" said Toby, and suddenly she broke into a laugh. "Oh, don't be
funny, Jake! Bunny rides him. Why shouldn't I?"

"That's quite a different thing," Jake said. "Bunny has a man's strength.
You haven't. It's too dangerous a game for you, see? And I won't have
it."

"All right," said Toby, picking up her riding-whip and turning to go.

He stretched out a hand to detain her. "You'll give me that promise," he
said.

She paused for a second, and met the uns