ter all, one's dignity."

"Oh! it's no use!" cried Robin. "She means to use them--of course,
it's all plain enough; we've just got to face it, I suppose"; and then,
as a forlorn hope, turning to his uncle--

"You've done nothing, I suppose, Uncle Garrett?"

His uncle had hitherto taken no part in the discussion, but sat intent
on the book that he was reading. Now he answered, without looking up--

"Yes--I saw the girl."

"You saw her?" from Clare.

"What! Dahlia!" from Robin.

"Yes, I called." He laid the book down on his knee and enjoyed the
effect of his announcement. He could be important for a moment at any
rate, although he must, with his next words, confess failure, so he
prolonged the situation. "Some more tea, Clare, please, and not quite
so strong this time--you might speak about the tea--why not make it
yourself?"

She took his cup and went over to the tea-table. She knew how to play
the game as well as he did, and she showed no astonishment or vulgar
curiosity, but if he had succeeded where she had failed she must change
her hand. She had never thought very much about Garrett; he was a
thorough Trojan--for that she was very grateful, but he had always been
more of an emblem to her than a man. Now if he had got the letters she
was humiliated indeed. Robin would despise her for having failed where
his uncle had succeeded.

"Well, have you got them?"

Robin bent forward eagerly.

"No, not precisely," Garrett answered deliberately. "But I went to see
her----"

"With what result?"

"With no precise result--that is to say, she did not promise to
surrender them--not immediately. But I have every hope----" He paused
mysteriously.

"Of what?" If his uncle had really a chance of getting them, he was
not such a fool after all. Perhaps he was a cleverer man than one gave
him credit for being.

"Well, of course, one has very little ground for any real assertion,
but we discussed the matter at some length. I think I convinced her
that it would be her wisest course to deliver up the letters as soon as
might be, and I assured her that we would let the matter rest there and
take no further steps. I think she was impressed," and he sipped his
tea slowly and solemnly.

"Impressed! Yes, but what has she promised?" Robin cried impatiently.
He knew Dahlia better than they did, and he did not feel somehow that
she was very likely to be impressed with Uncle Garrett. He was not the
kind of ma