“Poor Robin!” said Juliet gently.  “Yes, I know him.  He is certainly not normal, but scarcely half-witted, do you think?”

Mrs. Fielding turned her head to bestow upon her a brief glance of surprise.  “I said half-witted,” she observed haughtily.

Juliet turned her head also, and gave her companion a straight and level look.  “And I did not agree with you,” she said quietly.

Mrs. Fielding uttered a laugh that had a girlish ring despite its insolence.  “Have you said that to my husband yet?” she asked.

“Not quite that,” said Juliet.

“Well, if you ever do, may I be there to hear!” she rejoined flippantly.  “He’s like a raging bull when he’s crossed.  I hear he came to see you yesterday.”

“He did,” said Juliet.

“Did he talk about me?” asked Mrs. Fielding.

“He told me that you were not very strong,” said Juliet.

“And that I wanted someone to look after me—­coerce me, when he wasn’t there to do it himself.  Was that it?”

“Surely you know better than that!” said Juliet.

“Oh, I know him awfully well,” said Mrs. Fielding, with her reckless laugh.  “Are you really thinking of coming to live with us?”

“You haven’t asked me yet,” said Juliet.

“Oh, that doesn’t matter.  You’ll come if you think you will; and if you don’t, nothing will induce you.  But—­let me tell you—­my husband will be furious—­with me—­if you don’t.”

“Oh, surely not!” said Juliet.

“Yes, he is that sort.  If he doesn’t get what he wants, it’s always someone else’s fault—­generally mine.  I warn you—­we have most frightful rows sometimes.  He has only just begun to speak to me again since last Sunday.  We quarrelled that day over Green.  You know Green—­the schoolmaster—­don’t you?”

“Yes, I think I might call him a friend of mine,” said Juliet, with a smile.

“Oh, really!  I didn’t know that,” Mrs. Fielding’s tone was suddenly extremely cold.  “Hence your championship of Robin, I suppose?”

“No, I made friends with Robin separately.  He is coming to tea with me to-day, or rather, we are going down to the shore with it.  I love the shore in the evening.”

“I wonder you care to mix with people like that,” remarked Mrs. Fielding.  “I think it is such a mistake to take them out of their own class.  Green the schoolmaster is a constant visitor up at the Court, and I object to it very strongly.  I cannot understand my husband’s attitude in the matter.”

“But he is a gentleman!” said Juliet.

“Who?  Green?  Oh yes, of sorts.  I am glad to say his brother has no aspirations in that direction.”  Mrs. Fielding glanced again towards her chauffeur’s unconscious back.  “Or if he has, I don’t get the benefit of them.  As for Robin, he gives me the cold shudders every time I see him.”

“Poor Robin!” said Juliet again.  “I think he feels his deformity very much.”