"H'm," he said, "that's awkward. I'll tell you what, old fellow," he went on, after a minute's pause, "we'll go farther from home: What do you say to Hendon?"
Because there was no sense of wrong, there was no shame now, either in tone or look, as Robert replied in a simple straightforward manner,—
"It's out of the question. I haven't the money to pay my fare."
"That's no matter. I've enough to pay for half a dozen folks."
Jack was very generous, and it was this quality that made him a favourite among his schoolfellows. Indeed he had many good natural points, and doubtless they would have become strengthened and increased had he had such a training as Robert had received. But his mother had died when he was little more than a baby, and the aunt who had come to take her place in the house was not fond of children.
Consequently Jack never "took" to her, and he had grown up with no woman's tender, loving influence to guide him and keep him in the straight path. Of his father he saw very little. He was a commercial traveller, and sometimes would be from home for weeks together. After all, Jack was greatly to be pitied.
"So you'll come, won't you, Robert?" he continued. "You know it'll give me real pleasure to pay for you, and if you do as well as you did last time, you'll soon be the best skater in the school. You only had one tumble, and that wouldn't have happened if you hadn't been tripped up."
"And you'll lend me your skates again?"
"Of course. I don't use them now I've got my acmes, so you've nothing to thank me for. I shall expect you to-morrow then at nine o'clock sharp. We shan't be back till evening, so mind you tell them at home you are going to spend the day with me; that'll be true enough, you know. Good-bye, old boy, a frosty night, and a glorious day for us to-morrow!"
This conversation took place one Friday afternoon as Robert and Jack came out of school together. At the end of the month the weather had again suddenly changed, frost had set in, and now at the beginning of February the hopes of the skaters rose high that they might yet get a few days' sport before the season was too far advanced to permit them to look forward to the pleasure.