dyce sat gingerly upon the nearest chair. His companion pulled
one up close to him. He perceived with something of a shock that she
limped and at this discovery he looked at her again and drew in a quick
breath.

Why, here was the oddest little thing he had ever seen. He had thought
her a child, yet the wide eyes, set deep and of the blue of midnight,
had a quaint seriousness and understanding; in the corner of her lips
lingered a tender droop oddly at variance with the childish dimple of
the finely moulded chin. Though the girl's red hair--like flame, as the
lawyer had first thought, gave her an alive look, the little form under
the queer straight dress was diminutive to frailty.

"Who are you, my dear?"

"Robin Forsyth. Jimmie calls me Red-Robin because I hop when I walk."

"Is Jimmie your--"

"He's my Parent. Do you know Jimmie?"

"N-no, not--exactly." The little man was wondering how his investigators
had failed to report this young girl.

"Jimmie ought to be here soon. He went out to sell a picture to old Mrs.
Wycke. She wanted it but she wanted it cheap, Jimmie says. But we didn't
have anything to eat today so he took the picture to her and he's going
to bring back some cake and ice cream. We'll have a party. Will you
stay?"

"Good heavens," thought Allendyce, startled at her astonishing
frankness. He reached out and patted the small hand.

"You are very kind. Does your Jimmie sell--many pictures?"

"Not many--I heard him and Mr. Tony talking. Mr. Tony's his best friend.
If it were not for me Jimmie'd go away with Mr. Tony. Mr. Tony writes,
you see, and he wants Jimmie to illustrate for him."

"And where is your brother Gordon?"

Robin stared. "My--brother--Gordon?"

"Yes. Gordon--"

"_I_ am Gordon."

"You!"

"My real name is Gordon but Jimmie doesn't like it. He always said it
was too formal for a little girl. So he calls me Red-Robin and he says
he'll never call me anything else. Why do you look so funny?"

For Mr. Allendyce seemed to have crumpled together and to be quite
speechless.

"Don't _you_ think I'm too, oh, sort of insignificant, to be Gordon? I
like Robin much better."

The lawyer did not hear her. Here was a fine balking of all his and
Madame's plans. The Forsyth heir! That that heir should be a girl had
never entered their calculations. And a little lame girl at that; Mr.
Allendyce suddenly recalled how Madame had worshipped the splendid
manliness of young Christopher the T