"He said to her to swear, and she did it at once," continues Jacky, still greatly excited.
"Con amore," puts in Mr. Browne.
"And he scolded her very badly," goes on Jacky, at which Roger frowns angrily; "and he said she broke something belonging to him, but I couldn't hear what; and then he told her to go away, and when she was going she touched his arm, and he pushed her away awfully roughly, but he didn't try to murder her at all."
"What on earth is the boy saying?" says Julia, perplexed in the extreme, "Who didn't try to murder who?"
"I'm telling you about Dulce and Stephen," says Jacky, in an aggrieved tone, though still ready to burst with importance. "When he took her away from this, I followed 'm; I kept my eyes on 'm. Dicky said Stephen looked murderous; so I went to see if I could help her. But I suppose he got sorry, because he let her off. She is all right; there isn't a scratch on her."
Sir Mark and Dicky were consumed with laughter. But Roger, taking the little champion in his arms, kisses him with all his heart.
CHAPTER XXV.
"For aught that ever I could read,
Could ever hear by tale or history,
The course of true love never did run smooth."
—Midsummer Night's Dream.