as much as ever; but he
said he was sure that those great fighters, who did so many wonderful
things and came off unhurt, wore excellent armour from head to foot,
which made fighting easy work.

One day, soon after Philip had been to visit Tom, he and Maggie were in
the study alone together while Tom's foot was being dressed. Philip
was at his books, and Maggie went and leaned on the table near him to
see what he was doing; for they were quite old friends now, and
perfectly at home with each other.

"What are you reading about in Greek?" she said. "It's poetry; I can
see that, because the lines are so short."

"It's about the lame man I was telling you of yesterday," he answered,
resting his head on his hand, and looking at her as if he were not at
all sorry to stop. Maggie continued to lean forward, resting on her
arms, while her dark eyes got more and more fixed and vacant, as if she
had quite forgotten Philip and his book.

"Maggie," said Philip, after a minute or two, still leaning on his
elbow and looking at her, "if you had had a brother like me, do you
think you should have loved him as well as Tom?"

Maggie started a little and said, "What?" Philip repeated his question.

"Oh yes--better," she answered immediately. "No, not better, because I
don't think I could love you better than Tom; but I should be so
sorry--so sorry for you."

Philip coloured. Maggie, young as she was, felt her mistake. Hitherto
she had behaved as if she were quite unconscious of Philip's deformity.

"But you are so very clever, Philip, and you can play and sing," she
added quickly. "I wish you were my brother. I'm very fond of you.
And you would stay at home with me when Tom went out, and you would
teach me everything, wouldn't you--Greek, and everything?"

"But you'll go away soon, and go to school, Maggie," said Philip, "and
then you'll forget all about me, and not care for me any more. And
then I shall see you when you're grown up, and you'll hardly take any
notice of me."

"Oh no, I shan't forget you, I'm sure," said Maggie, shaking her head
very seriously. "I never forget anything, and I think about everybody
when I'm away from them. I think about poor Yap. He's got a lump in
his throat, and Luke says he'll die. Only don't you tell Tom, because
it will vex him so. You never saw Yap. He's a queer little dog;
nobody cares about him but Tom and me."

"Do you care as much about me as you do about Yap, Maggie?"