o Justin about it,' said Mr. Hervey, as he turned
back into his room again.

Archie followed him before he shut the door, feeling somehow a little
guilty for having deserted Justin, and a little uneasy too at what his
father had said of poor Bob.

'Hec said there was something you wanted one of us to do for you, papa,'
he began. 'Can I do it?'

Mr. Hervey, already seated at his writing-table, looked up.

'Well, yes,' he said, 'I want a message taken out to Griffith. Tell him
he must keep your mother's pony in the stables altogether, till the
second vet has seen it on Monday.'

'Is it worse?' asked Archie. 'Is that why you are going to get another
vet, papa?'

'Never mind,' said Mr. Hervey, rather sharply. He had been annoyed at
several things that afternoon, and the best of papas cannot _always_ be
perfectly gentle. 'Run off with my message, and when Justin comes in
tell him--no, don't tell him anything,' for their father knew by
experience that messages through one boy to another were very apt to
'grow' on their way.

Off ran Archie, stopping some minutes to chatter about the pony with
Griffith after executing his errand, in consequence of which he came
across Justin making his way in by the back gate from the fields.

'I say, Jus,' he began, 'you'd better look sharp. Papa didn't tell me to
say so, but I know he's vexed at you for not coming back with Pat and
me.'

'You needn't have put yourselves in the way then,' said Justin.

'We didn't--he was in the hall, or at least he looked out of his door
when we came in. And-- I say, Jus----'

'Well--what next? Why don't you go on?'

'I was thinking if I should tell you or not. I mean whether I've any
right to,' said Archie, who was very honest and truthful, 'for papa did
say "don't tell Justin anything." But that was after he'd said it.'

'It,' repeated Justin, growing impatient. '_What?_'

'Something about not wanting you to see much of Bob--people aren't
speaking too well of him.'

'Is that all?' said his elder brother with some contempt. 'People never
have spoken too well of him. But papa has always known that, and I can't
be horrid to Bob just when he's been taking a lot of trouble to please
me. He needn't ever come about here if papa doesn't want him to. And I
don't suppose _he_ wants to. Our servants are beastly to him. But I can
go to see him if I choose-- I've never been told not to. And he's not a
bad fellow at all.'

'No, I don't think he is,'