“Discharge him with a caution,” said Billy with a drawing-board on his knee. “He hadn’t committed very much of an offence that I can see.”
“And then?” said Bobby, and meditated on the fire.
“I shall go round to the police-court and try to pick him up again afterwards if they let him go,” he said presently.
“Better leave it all alone,” said Billy.
But Tessy sat in her arm-chair between Billy and the fire and looked at Bobby’s preoccupied profile rather sweetly out of the warm shadow. And nobody in the world saw her.
“They’ll warn him and he’ll come back here of his own accord, Bobby,” said Tessy comfortingly.
“Of course he’ll come back,” said Billy.
“Very likely, Tessy,” said Bobby. “But suppose they don’t.”
He got up and stood by the fire. “I suppose I ought to go upstairs and do some work.”
“I suppose you had,” said Billy.