“It will never come easily to me to—­to live on charity,” she protested, rather incoherently.

“But you can pay me back,” said Brett Mercer.

She shook her head.

“Not if—­if Robin——­”

“I tell you, you can!” he insisted stubbornly.

“How?” She turned suddenly and faced him.  There was a hint of defiance, or, rather, daring, in her manner.  She met his look with unswerving resolution.  “If there is a good chance of my being able to do that,” she said, “even if—­even if Robin fails me, I will accept your help.”

“You will be able to do it,” said Mercer.

“How?” she asked again.

“I will tell you,” he said, “when you are quite sure that Robin has failed you.”

“Tell me now!” she pleaded.  “If it is some work that you can find for me to do—­and I will do anything in the world that I can—­it would be such a help to me to know of it.  Won’t you tell me what you mean?  Please do!”

“No,” said Mercer.  “It is only a chance, and you may refuse it.  I can’t say.  You may feel it too much for you to attempt.  If you do, you will have to endure the obligation.  But you shall have the chance of paying me back if you really want it.”

“And you won’t tell me what it is?” she said.

“No.”  He got to his feet, and stood looking down at her.  “I can’t tell you now.  I am not in a position to do so.  I am going away for a few days.  You will wait here till I come back?”

“Unless Robin comes,” she said.  “And then, of course, I would leave you a message.”

He nodded.

“Otherwise you will stay here?”

“If you are sure you wish it,” she said.

“I do.  And I am going to leave you this.”  He laid a packet upon the table.  “It is better for you to be independent, for the sake of appearances.”  His iron mouth twitched a little.  “Now, good-bye!  You won’t be more miserable than you can help?”

She smiled up at him bravely.

“No; I won’t be miserable.  How long shall you be gone?”

“Possibly a week, possibly a little more.”

“But you will come back?” she said quickly, almost beseechingly.

“I shall certainly come back,” he said.

With the words his great hand closed firmly upon hers, and she had a curious, vagrant feeling of insecurity that she could not attempt to analyse.  Then abruptly he let her go.  An instant his eyes still held her, and then, before she could begin to thank him, he turned to the door and was gone.

V