would have
given them back----"

"She has----"

"What?"

"Given them back."

"The letters?"

Harry went to his writing-table and produced the bundle. They lay in
his hand with the blue ribbon and the neat handwriting, "For Robert
Trojan," outside.

Robin stared. "Not _the_ letters?"

"Yes--the letters; I have had them some days."

But still he did not move. "_You've_ had them?--several days?"

"Yes. I went to see Miss Feverel on my own account and she gave me
them----"

"You had them when we asked you to help us!"

"Yes--of course. It was a little secret of my own and Miss
Feverel's--our--if you like--revenge."

"And we've been laughing at you, scorning you; and we tried--all of
us--and could do nothing! I say, you're the cleverest man in England!
Score! Why I should think you have!" and then he added, "But I'm
ashamed--terribly. You have known all these days and said nothing--and
I! I wonder what you've thought of me----"

He took the letters into his hand and undid the ribbon slowly. "I'm
jolly glad you've known--it's as if you'd been looking after the family
all this time, while we were plunging around in the dark. What a
score! That we should have failed and you so absolutely succeeded--"
Then again, "But I'm jolly ashamed--I'll tell you everything--always.
We'll work together----"

He looked them through and then flung them into the fire.

"I've grown up," he suddenly cried; "come of age at last--at last I
know."

"Not too fast," said Harry, smiling; "it's only a stage. There's
plenty to learn--and we'll learn it together." Then, after a pause,
"There's another thing, though, that will astonish you a bit--I'm
engaged----"

"Engaged!" Robin stared. Quickly before his eyes passed visions of
terrible Colonial women--some entanglement that his father had
contracted abroad and had been afraid to announce before. Well,
whatever it might be, he would stand by him! It was they two against
the world whatever happened!--and Robin felt already the anticipatory
glow of self-sacrificing heroism.

Harry smiled. "Yes--Mary Bethel!"

"Mary! Hurrah!"

He rushed at his father and seized his hand--"You and Mary! Why, it's
simply splendid! The very thing--I'd rather it were she than any
one!--she told me what she thought of me the other night, I can tell
you--fairly went for me. By Jove! I'm glad--we'll have some times,
three of us here together. When was it?"

"Oh! only this mor