"Just a moment--I'll come right now." As she spoke, Hermione reentered the kitchen, untying her apron as she came. Spike sat watching, waiting, yearning for a word, but without even a glance Hermione turned and left him. When he was alone, he started to his feet and tearing the box from his pocket dashed it fiercely to the floor; then as suddenly picked it up, and approaching the open window, drew back his hand to hurl it out and so stood, staring into the face that had risen to view beyond the window ledge, a round face with two very round eyes, a round button of a nose, and a wide mouth just now up-curving in a grin. "Hey, you, Larry, what you hangin' around here for?" demanded Spike, slipping the box into his pocket again. "What you doin' on our fire escape, hey?" "Brought back yer roof!" replied the lad. "Well, where is it?" "Here it is." And climbing astride the window sill, Larry handed in the jaunty straw. "Where'd you find it?" "Bud give it me, 'n' say--" "All right," nodded Spike, dusting the straw tenderly with a handkerchief. "Now git, I wanter be alone." "But, say, Kid, Bud says I was ter say as he's sorry for what he said, 'n' say, he says you'd better be gettin' over t' O'Rourke's, 'n' say--" "I ain't comin'!" "But say, you're t' fight Young Alf, 'n' say--" "I ain't comin'!" "But say, dere's a lot of our money on ye--I got two plunks meself, 'n' say, you just gotter fight anyway. Bud says so--" "I can't help what Bud says; I ain't comin'." "Not comin'!" exclaimed Larry, his eyes rounder than ever. "No!" Larry's wide mouth curved in a slow grin, and he nodded his close-cropped head; said he: "Say, Kiddo, you know Young Alf's a punishin' fighter, I guess; you know as nobody's never stopped him yet, don't yer; you know as you're givin' him six pounds--say, you ain't--scared, are ye?" "Scared?" repeated Spike, frowning. "Do I look like I was scared? You know there ain't any guy I'm scared of--but I promised Hermy--" "Pip-pip!" grinned Larry. "Say, if you don't turn up t'night, d'ye know what d' bunch'll say? Dey'll say you're a--quitter!" "Well, don't you say it, that's all!" said Spike, laying aside his hat and clenching his fists. "Not me!" grinned Larry. "There'll be plenty to do that, I guess--dey'd call it after ye in d' streets--dey'll give ye th' ha! ha! Dey'll say Hermy Chesterton's brother's a quitter--a quitter!" For a long moment Spike stood with bent head and hands tightly clenched, then crossing to the sideboard, he picked up his shabby cap. "Who's in my corner?" "Now you're talkin', Kiddo; I know as you--" "Who's in my corner?" "Bud an' Lefty, 'n' say, I guess they can handle you all right, eh? 'N' say, come on, let's cop a sneak before any one butts in--d' fire escape for ours, eh?" "Sure!" said Spike, climbing through the window. "Oh, there ain't nobody goin' t' call Hermy Chesterton's brother a quitter." "You bet there ain't!" grinned Larry, "come on, Kid!" CHAPTER XX