"It would be useless to, Sir Anthony."
"I don't dispute it, Miss Pamela. I suppose we'd better be making for home?"
He turned and walked sulkily along the forest path with the girl by his side. For a second there was silence; then Pamela broke it by saying softly:
"I often have thought that one reason why Molly fell in love with Mick was because she pitied him so much. He came to the wall in all our escapades. Of course, he was always in love with Molly, but I believe it was in protecting him from us that she became so fond of him."
"He is your sister's lover, then?" incredulously.
"Why, of course he is. Whose did you suppose he was?"
"Yours, Miss Pamela."
"Mine! why, he'd never look at me when Molly was by. Besides, you don't know how horribly we ill-used the poor dear fellow."
"Miss Pam, I wish you'd ill-use me."
"You wouldn't like it at all, Sir Anthony."