shunned by respectable people in the
neighborhood. He started up, and looked at her with what she felt to be
a rather insolent gaze. Wyvis Brand stood erect, and looked sullen. The
other gentleman, who was a stranger, rose from his chair in a civiller
manner than his friend had done.

Janetta put her arms round the little fellow, and turned a rather
bewildered face towards Mr. Brand. "Was it--was it--medicine?" she
asked.

"Of a kind," said Wyvis, with a laugh.

"It was brandy--_eau-de-vie_--horrid hot stuff that _maman_ used to
drink," said little Julian, with a burst of angry sobs, "and I promised
not--I promised old Susan that I never would!"

"It was only a joke," said the master of the house, coming forward now,
and anxious perhaps to avert the storm threatened by a sudden indignant
flash of Janetta's great dark eyes. "We were not in earnest of course."
(A smothered laugh and ejaculation from Mr. Strangways passed without
notice.) "The boy does not know how to take a joke--he's a milksop."

"I'm not! I'm not!" said little Julian, still struggling with violent
sobs. "I'm not a milksop! Oh, say that I'm not! Do tell father that I'm
not--not----"

"Certainly you are not. You are a very brave little boy, and know how to
keep your word," said Janetta, with decision. "And now you must come
with me to your grandmother; I came to see _her_ this afternoon."

She gathered him into her strong, young arms as if she would have
carried him from the room, but he struggled manfully to keep his feet,
although he still held her dress. Without a word, Wyvis strode to the
door and held it open for the pair. Janetta forgot to thank him, or to
greet him in any way. She swept past him in a transport of silent fury,
flashing upon him one look of indignation which Wyvis Brand did not
easily forget. It even deafened him for a moment to the sneering comment
of Mr. Strangways, which fell on Janetta's ears just as she was leaving
the room.

"That's a regular granny's boy. Well for him if he always gets a pretty
girl to help him out of a difficulty."

Wyvis, who had stood for a moment as if transfixed by Janetta's glance,
hastily shut the door.

Janetta paused in the corridor outside. She was flushed and panting; she
felt that she could not present herself to Mrs. Brand in that state. She
held the boy close to her, and listened while he poured forth his story
in sobbing indistinctness.

"Old Susan--she was their English servant--