"Do you feel ill to-night, Jack?" Theodore asked uneasily, struck by an intonation of wistfulness in the other's voice.
"No, not ill—only tired."
"I ought not to have come, bothering you so. Jane would be dreadfully angry if she knew I was not in bed."
"I felt sure you would come! I should not have been able to sleep all night if you had stayed away. Has father forgiven you, Theo?"
"Yes. He was very kind to me, and he made me feel so ashamed of myself. I was sorry when I saw how sorry he was! I thought at first he was only annoyed about my smoking, but when he said most likely I set the rick on fire, I expected he might thrash me, and I was awfully frightened. Somehow he seemed to understand how I felt. I think father's a brick, don't you?"
"Oh, yes, he is!" Jack agreed cordially.
"I mean always to try and please him for the future," Theodore proceeded earnestly. "He said the hay-rick was worth many pounds, but he didn't mind the loss of the money half so much as my having been with Tom Blake."
"You'll give up Tom Blake now, won't you?" Jack enquired anxiously.
"Yes," was the prompt reply. "Well, I suppose I must go now. Good night, old fellow!"
"Good night, Theo."