mbering gesture towards the speaker, but his eyes remained obstinately
lowered under the shag of hair that hung over his forehead.

Dick sat for a few seconds looking at him, then with a sudden sigh that
caught him unawares he got up.

"What did you come down for? Tell me!" he said.

His tone was absolutely quiet, but something in his utterance or the
sigh that preceded it--or possibly some swiftly-piercing light of
intuition--seemed to send a galvanizing current through Robin. With
clumsy impulsiveness he came to Dick and stood before him.

"I was going--to get you--something to eat," he said, speaking with
tremendous effort. "You must be--pretty near starving--and I forgot." He
paused to fling a nervous look upwards. "I thought you were asleep. I
didn't know--or I wouldn't have done it. I--didn't mean to get in the
way." His voice broke oddly. He began to tremble. "I'll go now," he said.

But Dick's hand came out, detaining him. "You came down to get me
food?" he said.

"Yes," muttered Robin, with his head down. "Thought I'd--put it in the
hall--so you'd find it--before you came up."

Dick stood silent for a space, looking at him. His eyes were very gentle
and the grimness had gone from his mouth, but Robin could not see that.
He stood humped and quivering, expectant of rebuke.

But he recognized the change when Dick spoke. "Thought you'd provide me
with the necessary strength to hammer you, eh?" he said, and suddenly his
arm went round the misshapen shoulders; he gave Robin a close squeeze.
"Thanks, old chap," he said.

Robin looked up then. The adoring devotion of a dumb animal was in his
eyes. He said nothing, being for the moment beyond words.

Dick let him go. A clock on the mantelpiece was striking twelve. "You get
to bed, boy!" he said. "I don't want anything to eat, thanks all the
same." He paused a moment, then held out his hand. "Good-night!"

It was tacit forgiveness for his offence, and as such Robin recognized
it. Yet as he felt the kindly grasp his eyes filled with tears.

"I'm--I'm sorry, Dicky," he stammered.

"I'm sorry too," Dick said. "But that won't undo it. For heaven's sake,
Robin, never lie to me again! There! Go to bed! I'm going myself as soon
as I've had a smoke. Good-night!"

It was a definite dismissal, and Robin turned away and went stumblingly
from the room.

His brother looked after him with a queer smile in his eyes. It was
Juliet who had taught Robin to say he was sorr