You're
not happy, my dear."
"Yes, I am," she answered firmly.
"No, you're not. And I'm not. But it will be all right in the end,
I've no doubt. You'll never desert me, Maggie."
"I'll never desert you," Maggie answered.
He bent down and kissed her, his breath whisky-laden. She kissed him
eagerly, tenderly. For a moment she felt that she would go with him,
just as she was, and leave them all.
"Uncle," she said, "you understand how it is, don't you? We'd have
asked you to stay if we'd known."
"Oh, that's all right." He looked at her mysteriously. "That new
sister-in-law of yours was shocked with me. They wouldn't have me in
the house. I saw that. And I only had one glass at the station. I'm
not much of a man in society now. That's the trouble . . . But next
time I'll come down and just send you a line and you'll come to see
me in my own little place--won't you? I'm in the devil of a mess,
Maggie, that's the truth, and I don't know how to get out of it.
I've been a bit of a fool, I have."
She saw the look of terror in his eye again.
"Would some money--" she suggested.
"Oh, I'm afraid it's past five pounds now, my dear.
Pages:
701
702
703
704
705
706
707
708
709
710
711
712
713
714
715
716
717
718
719
720
721
722
723
724
725