to take his place; but even as he hesitated he shivered in
the chilly damp, and remembered the principal reason of his coming. He
stepped forward and dropped the cloak over the bent shoulders, whereupon
Peggy started up and turned a scared white face upon him.

"Who, who--Oh! it is you! What do you want?"

"Nothing. I saw you come out, and thought you would be cold. I brought
you out my coat."

"I don't want it; I am quite warm. I came here to be alone."

"I know; I'm not going to bother. Mrs Asplin thinks you are in your
room, and I didn't tell her that I'd seen you go out. But it's damp.
If you catch cold, your mother will be sorry."

Peggy looked at him thoughtfully, and there was a glimmer of gratitude
in her poor tear-stained eyes.

"Yes; I p-p-romised to be careful. You are very kind, but I can't think
of anything to-night. I am too miserably wretched."

"I know; I've been through it. I was sent away to a boarding-school
when I was a little kid of eight, and I howled myself to sleep every
night for weeks. It is worse for you, because you are older, but you
will be happy enough in this place when you get settled. Mrs Asplin is
a brick, and we have no end of fun. It is ever so much better than
being at school; and, I say, you mustn't mind what Mellicent said the
other night. She's a little muff, always saying the wrong thing. We
were only chaffing when we said you were to be our fag. We never really
meant to bully you."

"You c-couldn't if you t-tried," stammered Peggy brokenly, but with a
flash of her old spirit which delighted her hearer.

"No; of course not. You can stand up for yourself; I know that very
well. But look here: I'll make a compact, if you will. Let us be
friends. I'll stick to you and help you when you need it, and you stick
to me. The other girls have their brother to look after them, but if
you want anything done, if anyone is cheeky to you, and you want him
kicked, for instance, just come to me, and I'll do it for you. It's all
nonsense about being a fag, but there are lots of things you could do
for me if you would, and I'd be awfully grateful. We might be partners,
and help one another--"

Robert stopped in some embarrassment, and Peggy stared fixedly at him,
her pale face peeping out from the folds of the Inverness coat. She had
stopped crying, though the tears still trembled on her eyelashes, and
her chin quivered in uncertain fashion. Her eyes dwelt on th