"Very sorry, Mr. Cardew," Willy Cameron explained. "I didn't know. I'll put it away, sir."
But Anthony was not listening. His eyes had traveled from an empty platter on the hearth-rug to a deep chair where Jinx, both warm and fed at the same time, and extremely distended with meat, lay sleeping. Anthony put out a hand and pressed the bell beside him.
"I want you to meet Mr. Cameron, grandfather." Lily was rather pale, but she had the Cardew poise. "He was in the camp when I was."
Grayson entered on that, however, and Anthony pointed to Jinx.
"Put that dog out," he said, and left the room, his figure rigid and uncompromising.
"Grayson," Lily said, white to the lips, "that dog is to remain here. He's perfectly quiet. And, will you find Ellen and ask her to come here?"
"Haven't I made enough trouble?" asked Willy Cameron, unhappily. "I can see her again, you know."
"She's crazy to see you, Willy. And besides--"
Grayson had gone, after a moment's hesitation.
"Don't you see?" she said. "The others have always submitted. I did, too. But I can't keep it up, Willy. I can't live here and let him treat me like that. Or my friends. I know what will happen. I'll run away, like Aunt Elinor."
"You must not do that, Lily." He was very grave.
"Why not? They think she is unhappy. She isn't. She ran away and married a man she cared about. I may call you up some day and ask you to marry me!" she added, less tensely. "You would be an awfully good husband, you know."
She looked up at him, still angry, but rather amused with this new conceit.
"Don't!"
She was startled by the look on his face.
"You see," he said painfully, "what only amuses you in that idea is--well, it doesn't amuse me, Lily."
"I only meant--" she was very uncomfortable. "You are so real and dependable and kind, and I--"
"I know what you mean. Like Jinx, there. I'm sorry! I didn't mean that. But you must not talk about marrying me unless you mean it. You see, I happen to care."
"Willy!"
"It won't hurt you to know, although I hadn't meant to tell you. And of course, you know, I am not asking you to marry me. Only I'd like you to feel that you can count on me, always. The one person a woman can count on is the man who loves her."