So I fired away and got off all the wrongs of days.
'If you weren't so small,' said Ross, when at last he got a word in, 'I shouldn't feel so inclined to bully you.'
'But that's an awful thing to say. Why, you never ought to hit a man who's smaller than yourself.'
'Looks as if my moral nature is decaying and I seem to be a fair and average all-round beast,' said Ross, with gloom. 'I didn't mean to hurt you, darling. Sorry, little 'un. I'll try to be different,' he promised, as he used when he was naughty as a boy.
'Have some coffee, Meg? Brown put some in my thermy.'
'Yes. I will if you will,' and because my brother was 'trying to be different' he took a cup himself.
'Well, it's time you went to sleep,' remarked the giant, and got up to go.
Outside the door, as he went out, I heard Brown say, 'Can't you sleep, sir,' and then something about 'no dressing-gown with that cold on you.'
'Oh, dry up,' said Ross wrathfully, really trying to be different, 'you're as bad as a wet nurse. Go to bed and stop there, or I'll sack you, Sam.'
So I knew Brown was forgiven, too.