Old Principle's burst of eloquence almost startled the boys, and they received it in silence; but later on, as they were walking home in the cool of the evening Roy linked his arm in Dudley's and said softly—
"I see it all now. My broken leg and everything. It was when I was too weak to go out with you, that Rob and I used to talk over these things."
And Dudley replied, with an emphatic nod, "Yes, though you didn't know it, Rob was your big opportunity."