Dick, who was at the funeral, looked at them, winking his hawk eyes a little, and afterwards he came back boldly to the silent house, and obtained leave to take them away for the afternoon. He brought them back towards bed-time, with a dancing doll he had made for them, and a man's face cut out of cork. They met Rachel and the governess in the garden on their return, and flew to them with their trophies.
Dick waited a moment after the others had gone in.
"It seems hard on him to have left it all," he said. "His wife and the little chaps, and his nice home and everything."
Rachel could say nothing.
"He was very fond of the boys," he went on. "He would have done anything for them."
"He did what he could," said Rachel, almost inaudibly, and then added: "He was very fond of you."
"He was a good friend," said Dick, his crooked mouth twitching a little, "and a good enemy. That was why I liked him. He was hard to make a friend of or an enemy, but when he once did either he never let go."
Rachel shivered. The frost was settling white upon the grass.
"I must go in," she said, holding out her hand.
"Are you staying much longer?" said Dick, keeping it in his.