He looked contemptuous.  “It won’t hurt me.  I hate chairs.  I’ll do as I like.”

But he still stood, glowering at her uncertainly near the hedge.

“Come along then!” said Juliet kindly.  “Come and sit down near me!  Why not?”

He came slowly, and let himself down with awkward, lumbering movements by her side.  His face was darkly sullen.  “I don’t see any harm in it,” he grumbled, “if you don’t mind.”

“Of course I don’t mind!” she said.  “I am pleased.  As you see, I have no other visitors.”

He lifted his heavy eyes to hers.  “You’d pack me off fast enough if you had.”

“No, I shouldn’t.  Don’t be silly, Robin!” She smiled down upon him.  “You are going to stay and have tea with me, aren’t you?”

He smiled rather doubtfully in answer.  “I’d like to.  I don’t know if I can though.”

“Why shouldn’t you?” she questioned.

He folded his long arms about his knees, and murmured something unintelligible.

Juliet looked at her watch.  “Mrs. Rickett has promised to bring it in another quarter-of-an-hour, and we will ask her to bring out Freddy too, shall we?  You’ll like that.”

The boy’s face brightened a little.  He did not speak for a moment or two; then he reached forth a claw-like hand and tentatively fingered her dress.  “I don’t want Freddy—­when I’ve got you,” he muttered.

“Oh, don’t you?  How kind!” said Juliet.

Again his dark eyes lifted.  “It’s you that’s kind,” he said.  “I’ve never seen anyone like you before.”  His brow clouded again as he looked at her.  “You’re quite as much a lady as Mrs. Fielding,” he said.  “But you don’t call me a ’hideous abortion’.”

“I should think not!” Juliet moved impulsively and laid her hand upon his humped shoulder.  “Don’t listen to such things, Robin!  Put them out of your head!  They are not true.”

He rested his chin upon her hand, looking up at her dumbly.  Her heart stirred within her.  The pathos of those eyes was more than she could meet unmoved.  Their protest made her think of an animal in pain.

“It doesn’t do to take things too seriously, Robin,” she said gently.  “There are people in the world who will say unkind things of anybody.  It’s just because they are thoughtless generally.  It doesn’t do to listen.”

“No one ever said anything unkind about you,” he said.

“Oh, didn’t they?” Juliet smiled.  “Do you know, Robin, I shouldn’t wonder if there are plenty of them saying unkind things about me this very moment—­that is, if they are thinking about me at all.”

He glanced around him savagely.  “Where?  I’d like to hear ’em!  I’d Kill ’em!”

“No—­no!” said Juliet, restraining him.  “And it’s no one here either.  But you’ve got to realize that it doesn’t really matter what people say.  They’ll always talk, you know.  Everyone does.  It’s the way of the world, and we can’t get away from it.”