But Vivian shook his head, while a curious stifled sound like a groan broke from his lips, and he went straight along the passage to his own room.
CHAPTER XIV.
VIVIAN CONQUERS.
WHEN Ronald returned from the nursery, some ten minutes later, he was surprised to find that the room was in darkness, and that Vivian had not begun to undress, for as a rule he was so quick in all his movements that he had expected to find him already in bed.
As he lit the candles on the dressing-table the misery in his little brother’s face startled him, it was so white and drawn and hopeless.
‘You look awfully cold, Vivi,’ he began. ‘Come along into the nursery and have some cocoa. Lucy gave me a cup to drink; awfully jolly and sweet it was, and I feel heaps better. I got awfully shivery and queer downstairs.’
‘No, thanks, I don’t want any, not to-night,’ said Vivian shortly, pulling out a drawer with so much vehemence that Ronald took it as a hint that he wanted to be quiet, and began to undress without any further remark.
The boys generally read a short portion of the Bible to their mother before they came upstairs, and when she happened to be away from home—a very rare occurrence indeed—they read it to themselves in their own room; but to-night Ronald felt that somehow he dare not ask his brother to join him. He hardly knew how to treat him in this new, silent mood that had come over him, and he longed for his mother, who always understood people, and knew what to say to them.