Dion was touched at the sight.

“Little rogue!” he said, bending over Robin.  “Little, little rogue!”

Robin raised his, as yet scarcely defined, eyebrows, stared tremendously hard at the nursery atmosphere, pulled out his wet lips and gurgled, at the same time wagging his head, now nicely covered with silky fair hair, or down, whichever you chose to call it.

“He knows his papa, ma’am, and that he does, a boy!” said the nurse, who approved of Dion, and had said below stairs that he was “as good a husband as ever wore shoe-leather.”

“Of course he does,” said Rosamund softly.  “Babies have plenty of intelligence of a kind, and I think it’s a darling kind.”

Dion sat down beside her, and they both bent over Robin in the gathering twilight, while the nurse went softly out of the room.

Dion had quite forgotten the Clarke case.

CHAPTER V

Three days later Daventry called in Little Market Street early, and was shown into the dining-room where he found Rosamund alone at the breakfast-table.

“Do forgive me for bursting in upon the boiled eggs,” he said, looking unusually excited.  “I’m off almost directly to the Law Courts and I want to take Dion with me.  It’s the last day of Mrs. Clarke’s case.  We expect the verdict some time this evening.  I dare say the court will sit late.  Where’s Dion?”

“He’s just coming down.  We were both disturbed in the night, so we slept later than usual.”

“Disturbed?  Burglars?  Fire?”

“No; Robin’s not at all well.”

“I say!  I’m sorry for that.  What is it?”

“He’s had a very bad throat and been feverish, poor little chap.  But I think he’s better this morning.  The doctor came.”

“You’ll never be one of the fussy mothers.”

“I hope not,” she said, rather gravely; “I’m not fond of them.  Here’s Dion.”

Daventry sat with them while they breakfasted, and Dion agreed to keep his promise and go to the court.

“I told Uncle Biron I must be away from business to hear the summing-up,” he said.  “I’ll send a telegram to the office.  Do you think it will be all right for Mrs. Clarke?”

“She’s innocent, but nobody can say.  It depends so much on the summing-up.”

Dion glanced at Rosamund.

“You mustn’t think I’m going to turn into an idler, Rose.  This is a very special occasion.”

“I know.  Mr. Daventry’s first case.”

“Haven’t you followed it at all?” Daventry asked.

She shook her head.

“No, but I’ve been wished you well all the same.”

When the two men got up to go, Dion said: 

“Rosamund!”

“What is it?”

“If Mrs. Clarke wins and is completely exonerated, I think she would like very much to make your acquaintance.”

Rosamund looked surprised.