He went slowly up the wide stairs, and when he found himself on the first landing, he looked round him. There one of the housemaids saw him. Of course she loved him: every woman in the house loved Ralph. "What is it, little master?" she said, wondering at his pale cheeks and at the anxious expression in his eyes. "I want Robina," he said. "She is shut up in her own room, little master." Off trotted Ralph, and knocked at the door. "Robina, Robin; let me in!" he said. There was silence at first in answer to his imperative summons. Then there came a broken-down voice from within. "I can't, Ralph: go away, please." "But why won't you? I must get in," said Ralph. Robina now made no answer of any sort, and Ralph, after waiting outside the door for a few minutes, very disconsolately retreated and went into the garden. Now the whole of the side of the house where Robina's room was situated was covered with an old magnolia tree, and this magnolia had a very thick trunk--quite thick enough and firm enough to hold the weight of a little boy, and as Ralph had no fear, and was an excellent climber--in fact, this small person could climb like a monkey--he soon scaled the magnolia, and appeared outside Robina's window; and as the window happened to be wide open--for she certainly did not expect a visitor by that entrance--a little brown boy with brown eyes looked in at her from the enclosure made by the magnolia, and the next minute, he was inside the room, and pressed to Robina's heart. "I love you much--much best of all!" he said; "and father has sent me to you, and--and--I don't, know anything--but there's an awful fuss downstairs, and Jane Bush is crying, and Harriet is looking awfully angry--and--I don't understand half nor quarter what it's all about. But I love you best; and I choose you; for I know that I can be good with you--and oh! love me, love me a little, for I love you so much?" Book 2--CHAPTER SEVENTEEN. VIRTUE REWARDED. When Mr Durrant had at last got quite clearly at the truth of things, and when Harriet, brought to bay, at first struggled to deny, but at last was forced to confess the truth of Jane's statements, his manner became very decided and summary.