"Sit down!"said Jolly."Take your time!Think it over well."And he himself sat down on the arm of his grandfather's chair.
Val did not sit down;he stood with hands thrust deep into his breeches'pockets-hands clenched and quivering.The full awfulness of this decision one way or the other knocked at his mind with double knocks as of an angry postman.If he did not take that 'dare'he was disgraced in Holly's eyes,and in the eyes of that young enemy,her brute of a brother.Yet if he took it,ah!then all would vanish--her face,her eyes,her hair,her kisses just begun!
"Take your time,"said Jolly again;"I don't want to be unfair."And they both looked at Holly.She had recoiled against the bookshelves reaching to the ceiling;her dark head leaned against Gibbon's Roman Empire,her eyes in a sort of soft grey agony were fixed on Val.And he,who had not much gift of insight,had suddenly a gleam of vision.She would be proud of her brother--that enemy!She would be ashamed of him!His hands came out of his pockets as if lifted by a spring.
"All right!"he said."Done!"
Holly's face-oh!it was queer!He saw her flush,start forward.
He had done the right thing--her face was shining with wistful admiration.Jolly stood up and made a little bow as who should say:'You've passed.'