“No, of course not.  Why, I don’t know anybody except Mr. and Mrs. Rickett.  And it’s much more interesting to hear it from yourself.”

“Is it?” He hesitated a little longer, but was finally disarmed by the kindness of her smile.  “My name is Robin.”

“Oh, that’s a nice name,” Juliet said.  “And you live here?  What do you do all day?”

“I don’t know,” he said vaguely.  “I can mend fishing-nets, and I can help Dicky in the garden.  And I look after Mrs. Rickett’s baby sometimes when she’s busy.  What do you do?” suddenly resuming his attitude of suspicion.

She made a slight gesture of the hands.  “Nothing at all worth doing, I am afraid,” she said.  “I can’t mend nets.  I don’t garden.  And I’ve never looked after a baby in my life.”

He stared at her.  “Where do you come from?” he asked curiously.

“From London.”  She met his curiosity with absolute candour.  “And I’m tired of it.  I’m very tired of it.  So I’ve come here for a change.  I’m going to like this much better.”

“Better than London!” He gazed, incredulous.

“Oh, much better.”  Juliet spoke with absolute confidence.  “Ah, here is Columbus!  He likes it better too.”

She turned to greet her companion who now came hastening up to view the new acquaintance.

He sniffed round Robin who bent awkwardly and laid a fondling hand upon him.  “I like your dog,” he said.

“That’s right,” said Juliet kindly.  “We are both staying at the Ricketts’, so when you come to see the baby, I hope you will come to see us too.  I must go now, or I shall be late for lunch.  Good-bye!”

The boy lifted himself again with a slow, ungainly movement, and raised a hand to his forehead in wholly unexpected salute.

She smiled and turned to depart, but he spoke again, arresting her.

“I say!”

She looked back.  “Yes?  What is it?”

He shuffled his bare feet in the grass in embarrassment and murmured something she could not hear.

“What is it?” she said again, encouragingly, as if she were addressing a shy child.

He lifted his dark eyes to hers in sudden appeal.  “I say,” he said, with obvious effort, “if—­if you meet Dicky, you—­you won’t tell him about—­about—­”

She checked the struggling words with a very kindly gesture.  “Oh, no, of course not!  I’m not that sort of person.  But the next time you want to get rid of me, just come and tell me so, and I’ll go away at once.”

The gentleness of her speech uttered in that soft slow voice of hers had a curious effect upon her hearer.  To her surprise, his eyes filled with tears.

“I shan’t want to get rid of you!  You’re kind!  I like you!” he blurted forth.

“Oh, thank you very much!” said Juliet, feeling oddly moved herself.  “In that case, we are friends.  Good-bye!  Come and see me soon!”

She smiled upon him, and departed, picking up her stick from the path and turning to wave to him as she continued the ascent.