He touched his little breast. Robina bent forward and without a moment's warning gave him a quick and passionate kiss. "Hypocrite!" whispered Harriet under her breath. She called Ralph to her. "Come here," she said. He went slowly and with manifest unwillingness. "Sit there for a minute," said Harriet. She stalked across the room and stood in front of Robina's chair. "Did you mean," she said, in a very low voice, "to do what you said you would just now?" "Did I mean it?" replied Robina. "Yes; I meant it." "But Mr Durrant is away," continued Harriet. "Yes." "You will see him in the morning, will you not--I mean as soon as he comes back?" "Yes," said Robina again. None of the others could hear this low-voiced conversation, but Harriet went back to the centre of the room with a satisfied expression. Ralph, who had been watching the two girls, now said in a tone of excitement: "Has you found out what is wrong with Robin?" "There is nothing whatever wrong with her: don't be a goose, Ralph," said Harriet. But Ralph's longing brown eyes went straight to the sorrowful girl seated by herself in the distant corner. His little child fancy returned to her in her trouble. Harriet, however, who felt now quite sure of her own position, was not going to permit Ralph to forsake her. She sat down in a chair and called him to her side. "Who allowed you to sit up to supper?" "Why, you, in course, Harriet." "Which of the school-mothers do you love best?" "Harriet," said Ralph, glancing again at Robina's bowed head: "I has said it so often." "All right, say it once more, or you go to bed." "I love you," said the child. "Put your arms tight around me, and kiss me, as you did round Robina just now." "No," said Ralph. He put both his little hands to his sides, standing still very near Harriet, but not touching her. "If you refuse, you go to bed." "All wight, Harriet," replied the little chap. "Then you won't kiss me--you, who love me so dearly--you _won't_ kiss the Harriet who saved your life?" "Oh--'course I love you," said Ralph, "does you want me to kiss you like that? I only kiss when I--I--can't help it. I am not a sort of kissing boy at all. I am like father--I think just a look is enough, and a sort of smile now and then, and a sort of feel--oh, you know it--down--deep, deep here. I doesn't kiss father much; he doesn't think it man-like for boys to kiss." "Kiss me the way you kissed Robina, and do it at once," said Harriet, "or you go to bed." "No," said Ralph again. The other girls were scarcely listening, but this little scene between the two was drawing general attention. Patience, in particular, guessed that there was some struggle going on between Harriet and Ralph, and although she pretended to talk to her companions, she could not help listening.