ed his working hands together. Green waited.

"It--it--I didn't see--Mrs. Fielding," he blurted forth at last.

Green made a slight movement that might have indicated relief, but his
tone was as uncompromising as before as he said, "That's not an answer to
my question. I asked you why you did it."

Robin shrank from the curt directness of his speech. His defiance wilted
visibly. "I--didn't mean to break the window, Dicky," he said, twisting
and cracking his fingers in rising agitation.

"What did you mean to do?" said Green.

Robin stood silent again.

"Are you going to answer me?" Green said, after a pause.

Robin made a great effort. He parted his straining hands and rested them
upon the table behind which Green sat. Standing so, he glowered down into
his brother's grim face with something of menace in his own.

"I'll tell you one thing, Dicky," he said, with stupendous effort. "I'm
not going--to take a caning for it."

Green's eyebrows went up. He sat perfectly still, looking straight
up into the heavy face above him. For several seconds a tense
silence reigned.

Then: "Oh yes, you will," he said quietly. "You will take--whatever I
decide to give you. Sit down there!" He indicated the end of the bench
nearest to him. "I'll deal with you presently."

Robin did not stir. In the growing gloom of the room his eyes shone like
the eyes of an animal, goaded and desperate. But the man before him
showed neither surprise nor anger. His clean-cut lips were closed in a
straight, unyielding line. For a full minute he looked at Robin and Robin
looked at him.

Then he spoke. "I've only one treatment for this sort of thing--as you
know. It isn't especially inspiring for either of us. I shouldn't qualify
for it if I were you."

Robin had begun to shake again. The cold, clear words seemed to deprive
him of the brief strength he had managed to muster. His eyes fell before
the steady regard that was fixed upon him. With an incoherent murmur he
turned aside, and dropped upon the end of the bench indicated, his
trembling hands gripped hard between his knees, his attitude one of
utter dejection.

Green went back to his correcting with a frown between his brows, and a
deep silence fell.

Minutes passed. The room grew darker, the atmosphere more leaden. Pencil
in hand, Green went over book after book and put them aside. Suddenly he
looked across at the silent figure. The humped shoulders were heaving.
Slow tears were falli