She listened intently, but she heard no sound. Jake was sleeping no doubt, sleeping heavily. An overwhelming disgust came upon her. She turned shuddering away.
Mrs. Lovelace came wheezing back. Lord Saltash had gone. Was Mr. Bolton all right? Should she fetch him anything?
No, Maud was quite sure he wanted nothing. He was asleep and Mrs. Lovelace had better go to bed.
But she herself remained up till long after, in dread of a summons for Jake from Sam Vickers or some other of the men at the Stables. Probably they all suspected what had happened, but she felt that at all costs she must prevent the shameful certainty reaching them. It was too horrible, too lowering to her own personal pride. Very strangely it was that overpowering sense of shame that first made her realize the man as her husband. He had dragged her into the mire, and though her whole soul revolted she felt with a sinking despair that she could never be clean again. She was bound to him for better for worse, and nothing could ever set her free. She was, as it were, identified with him, and the evil of his nature must lie upon her like a taint. There could be no escape for her, loathe him as she might.
She lay down at last sick at heart and full of a great bitterness. Life was horrible, life was repulsive. Whichever way she turned some evil monster crouched across her path.
Bunny was restless and querulous throughout the night. He was deeply hurt by Jake’s desertion, and, though he forebore to say so, he plainly regarded his sister as a very poor substitute.
"I shan’t get up till Jake comes to see me," he announced in the morning.
And Maud went down to fetch his breakfast with a reluctant promise to inform Jake of this intention if she saw him.
She hoped very earnestly that she would not see him, but her hope was not to be fulfilled. Coming from the kitchen with Bunny’s breakfast-tray, she almost ran into him. He had evidently just entered the house, and was hanging up his cap on the rack that stood in the darkest corner of the passage.
He stood back for her to pass him. "Good morning!" he said.
Her face was burning. So great was her agitation for the moment that she thought she must drop the tray she held.
Jake evidently thought so too, for he reached out and steadily took it from her. "I’ll take up this," he said. "I want to see the little chap. Do you mind going into the parlour? I shall be down directly."