‘They were your prayers, Ronnie,’ he said at last; ‘but perhaps God saw that I was really sorry, and perhaps that did as well.’
‘Yes, and saw that you had made up your mind to own up,’ said Ronald; ‘and you know that mother always says that the real test of being sorry is the owning up and the trying to put things right as far as we can.’
‘There will be an awful lot to put right,’ said Vivian sadly, a sudden fit of depression coming over him. ‘Even if Isobel gets well, there is all Aunt Dora’s silver gone, and Joe Flinders put in prison.’
‘But Joe Flinders needn’t stay in prison when they know that it wasn’t he who took the pistol,’ said Ronald; and then he wished he had not spoken when he noticed the distressed look that came to his brother’s face at the mention of the pistol, and remembered all that must happen before Joe could be set at liberty.
‘Never mind, old chap,’ he said tenderly, putting his arm round Vivian’s shoulder; ‘just set your teeth, and go through with it. Father will help you, and I will stand by you for all that I am worth.’
The conversation was interrupted by Lucy’s entrance with a breakfast-tray.
‘There’s good news this morning, isn’t there, Master Vivian?’ she said cheerfully, noticing the little boy’s pale cheeks and heavy eyes, which she set down to the excitement of yesterday and the anxiety about his cousin. ‘You must try to eat a good breakfast, for it seems that you have to go back to London with the master.’
Vivian started at the words, and turned his face away from the kindly girl who was arranging his pillows comfortably behind him, and fussing over him as though he were ill.
So there was to be no pause, no respite. He was to go up to London this very day, and even before he had set out the ordeal had begun, for he saw from Lucy’s wondering tone that every one would at once begin to ask the reason for this sudden return to town, and the truth was bound to come out. To have Lucy, and cook, and old Black (who had known him ever since he was a baby) all know him now as a thief and a liar would be intolerable.
But Ronald, true to his promise of a minute before of ‘standing by him for all he was worth,’ answered for him.