'Mother, Dan's been to see Maud,' said Elaine, in a quiet voice full of
fear and trouble.
The old woman looked up anxiously, in question.
'I think she wanted him to take the child. She's very bad, I believe,'
explained Berry.
'Oh, we should take Winnie!' cried Elaine. But both women seemed
uncertain, wavering in their position. Already Berry could see that his
uncle had bullied them, as he bullied everybody. But they were used to
unpleasant men, and seemed to keep at a distance.
'Will you have some soup?' asked the mother, humbly.
She evidently did the work. The daughter was to be a lady, more or less,
always dressed and nice for when Sutton came in.
They heard him heavily running down the steps outside. The dogs got up.
Elaine seemed to forget the visitor. It was as if she came into life. Yet
she was nervous and afraid. The mother stood as if ready to exculpate
herself.
Sutton burst open the door. Big, blustering, wet in his immense grey
coat, he came into the dining-room.
'Hello!' he said to his nephew, 'making yourself at home?'
'Oh, yes,' replied Berry.
'Hello, Jack,' he said to the girl. 'Got owt to grizzle about?'
'What for?' she asked, in a clear, half-challenging voice, that had that
peculiar twang, almost petulant, so female and so attractive. Yet she was
defiant like a boy.
'It's a wonder if you haven't,' growled Sutton. And, with a really
intimate movement, he stooped down and fondled his dogs, though paying no
attention to them.
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