He raised his shoulders slightly; his eyes gleamed momentarily ere they vanished into his smile.  He shook his head at her with tolerant irony.  “I fear your heart runs away with you, Mrs. Denys, and I must not suffer myself to listen to you.  I have my duty—­my very distinct duty—­to perform, and I must not shirk it.  As to the results, they are in other Hands than mine.”

There came a low knock at the door as he finished speaking, and he turned at once to answer it.

“Come in!”

The door opened, and a very small, very nervous boy crept round it.  A quick exclamation rose to Avery’s lips before she could suppress it.  Mr. Lorimer looked at her interrogatively.

“I was only surprised to see Pat,” she explained.  “He has been with me all the afternoon.  I hardly thought he could have had time to get into trouble.”

“Come here, Patrick!” said Mr. Lorimer.

Patrick advanced.  He looked neither at Avery nor his father, but kept his eyes rigidly downcast.  His freckled face had a half-frightened, half-sullen expression.  He halted before Mr. Lorimer who took him by the shoulder, and turned him round towards Avery.

“Tell Mrs. Denys what you did!” he said.

Pat shot a single glance upwards, and made laconic reply.  “I undid Mike.”

“Oh, dear!” exclaimed Avery in great distress.  “I’m afraid that was my fault.”

“Yours, Mrs. Denys?” Mr. Lorimer’s eyes became visible as two brilliant pin-points turned searchingly upon her face.

“Yes, mine!” she reiterated.  “Mike was whining on his chain, and I said I thought it was cruel to keep a dog tied up.  I suppose I ought to have kept my thoughts to myself,” she said with a pathetic little smile.  “Do please forgive us both this time!”

Mr. Lorimer ignored the appeal.  “And do you know what happened in consequence of his being liberated?” he asked.

“Yes, I do.”  Ruefully she made answer.  “He fought Mr. Evesham’s dog and I helped to pull him off.”

“You, Mrs. Denys!”

“Yes, I.”  She nodded.  “There wasn’t much damage done, anyhow to Mike.  I am very, very sorry, Mr. Lorimer.  But really Pat is not to blame for this.  Won’t you—­please—­”

She stopped, for very decidedly Mr. Lorimer interrupted her.  “I am afraid I cannot agree with you, Mrs. Denys.  You may have spoken unadvisedly, but Patrick was aware that in releasing the dog he was acting in direct opposition to my orders.  Therefore he must bear his own punishment.  I must beg that for the future you will endeavour to be a little more discreet in your observations.  Patrick, open the door for Mrs. Denys!”

It was a definite dismissal—­perhaps the most definite that Avery had ever had in her life.  A fury of resentment possessed her, but feeling her self-control to be tottering, she dared not give it vent.  She turned in quivering silence and departed.

As she went out of the room, she perceived that Pat had begun to cry.