ut with it! Who is the girl--eh?"

"She would be my sister," said Robin calmly. "And the others were my
father and mother."

There was a little gasp of surprise all round the table. Robin went on--

"My home is just seven miles from here. This is the first time I have
got near my folk for six years. To-morrow I mean to go and see them. And
they would like fine, I know," he added a little shyly, "if some of you
would come with me."

"I'll come," said Kitty promptly. "I should love to meet your mother,
Robin."

"May _I_ come, Uncle Robin?" piped Phillis. "For a birfday treat," she
added, in extenuation.

Applications for an invitation rained in. Apart from a desire to please
a man whom we all respected--and our ready offers undoubtedly did please
him--I think we were all a little curious to view the mould which had
turned Robin out.

"You can't _all_ go," said the Admiral at last. "There's the
grouse-drive to-morrow, and eight butts to fill; not to mention the need
of female society at lunch."

Finally it was arranged that Robin should take Kitty and Phillis over on
a sort of preliminary call, and they could arrange for the establishment
of more substantial relations.

But that evening, as the ladies were having their candles lit at the
foot of the staircase, I heard Robin say to Dolly--

"Will you come with us to-morrow?"

Dolly seemed to consider, and was about to reply, when Dermott, who
never seemed very far away now, cut in.

"Too late, Fordyce! Miss Rubislaw has promised to come and load for me
in my butt to-morrow afternoon."

"No, I'm afraid it can't be managed this time, Robin," said Dolly. "But
I am coming with you later in the week, if you'll take me."

Robin said nothing.

Now Dolly, I knew, did not approve of the inclusion of females in the
business part of a day's shooting; and she regarded Miss Buncle and her
twenty-eight bore with pious horror. The fact that she had consented to
come and hold Dermott's second gun to-morrow seemed to indicate that
that gallant sportsman had accomplished a feat which had already proved
too much for several highly deserving young men--I was not quite sure
that Robin was not one of them; and there seemed to be every reason to
anticipate (especially since he was due to start for Aldershot to-morrow
night) that when the Captain returned from the chase to-morrow
afternoon, his bag would include one head of game of an interesting and
unusual variety.

III