"
"Oh, but that was all so long ago," Maud said quickly. "He wasn't much
more than a boy in those days. He has grown a lot since then."
Jake grunted. "Which way, think you? Well, I must dress. He may be here
before we're ready for him."
He turned to go back to his own room, but Maud stayed him for a moment.
"Jake," she said almost wistfully, "you know--with all his faults--he
always had--possibilities."
"I know," Jake said, looking down at her. "He's made the most of 'em
too."
Her face quivered. "Don't," she said. "It--isn't it rather ungenerous to
condemn a man unheard?"
Jake made a faint sound of contempt or scepticism, but no reply in words.
She drew herself up out of her chair by his arm. "Jake, I want you to do
something for me."
"Well?" said Jake uncompromisingly.
She met his look unswervingly. "Let me be a friend to him tonight! Let me
be alone with him and find out--if he will tell me--whether there is any
truth in this rumour that there was a woman on board the yacht."
"And when you've found out?" said Jake.
She made a little gesture of appeal. "Will you leave that to me? I have
sometimes felt that I might be--a help to him if ever there came an
opportunity.
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