'What yacht party?'
'This man Milbank is taking a party for a cruise shortly in his yacht.'
'Who is Milbank?'
'Surely you have met him? Yes, he was at my house one night when you
and Ruth dined there shortly after your return.'
'I don't remember him. However, it doesn't matter. But why does the
fact that he has asked Ruth on his yacht excite you? Are you nervous
about the sea?'
'I dislike this man Milbank very much, Winfield. I think Ruth sees too
much of him.'
Kirk stiffened. His eyebrows rose the fraction of an inch.
'Oh?' he said.
It seemed to Bailey for an instant that he had been talking all his
life to people who raised their eyebrows and said 'Oh!' but he
continued manfully.
'I do not think that Ruth should know him, Winfield.'
'Wouldn't Ruth be rather a good judge of that?'
His tone nettled Bailey, but the man conscious of doing his duty
acquires an artificial thickness of skin, and he controlled himself.
But he had lost that feeling of friendliness, of sympathy with a
brother in misfortune which he had brought in with him.
'I disagree with you entirely,' he said.
'Another thing,' went on Kirk. 'If this man Milbank, I still can't
place him, is such a thug, or whatever it is that he happens to be, how
did he come to be at your house the night you say I met him?'
Bailey winced. He wished the world was not perpetually reminding him
that Basil and Sybil were on speaking terms.
'Sybil invited him. I may say he has asked Sybil to make one of the
yacht party. I absolutely forbade it.'
'But, Heavens! What's wrong with the man?'
'He has a bad reputation.'
'Has he, indeed!'
'And I wish my wife to associate with him as little as possible. And I
should advise you to forbid Ruth to see more of him than she can help.'
Kirk laughed. The idea struck him as comic.
'My good man, I don't forbid Ruth to do things.'
Bailey, objecting to being called any one's good man, especially
Kirk's, permitted his temper to get the better of him.
'Then you should,' he snapped. 'I have no wish to quarrel with you. I
came in here in a friendly spirit to warn you; but I must say that for
a man who married a girl, as you married Ruth, in direct opposition to
the wishes of her family, you take a curious view of your obligations.
Ruth has always been a headstrong, impulsive girl, and it is for you to
see that she is protected from herself. If you are indifferent to her
welfare, then all I can say is that you should not have married her.
You appear to think otherwise. Good afternoon.'
He stalked out of the studio, leaving Kirk uncomfortably conscious that
he had had the worst of the argument. Bailey had been officious, no
doubt, and his pompous mode of expression was not soothing, but there
was no doubt that he had had right on his side.
