"Pardon me, my dear uncles," said I, bowing to them as well as I
might, "pardon me, but I venture to think not--"
"Now 'pon me everlasting soul!" exclaimed my uncle Jervas, fumbling
for his eyeglass. "What does the lad mean?"
"With your kind attention, he will come down and explain," said I, and
clambering through the casement, I descended forthwith, hand over
hand, by means of the ivy stems that grew very thick and strong
hereabouts.
Reaching the terrace, I paused to brush the dust from knee and elbow
while my uncle Jervas, lounging against the balustrade, viewed me
languidly through his glass, and uncle George stared at me very round
of eye and groped at his close-trimmed whisker.
"Sirs," said I, glancing from one to other, "I regret that I should
appear to you as a 'fish,' a 'puppy' and a 'self-satisfied
do-nothing,' but I utterly refuse to be considered either an 'incubus'
or a 'damned lad'!"
"Oh, the dooce!" ejaculated uncle George.
"To the which end," I proceeded, "I propose to remove myself for a
while--let us say for six months or thereabouts--on a condition."
"Remove yourself, nephew?" repeated uncle Jervas, peering at me a
little more narrowly. "Pray where?"
"Anywhere, sir. I shall follow the wind, tramp the roads, consort with
all and sundry, open the book of Life and endeavour to learn of man by
man himself."
"Very fine!" said my uncle Jervas,--"and damned foolish!"
"In a word," I continued, "I propose to follow your very excellent
advice, Uncle Jervas, and go out into the world to find my manhood if
I can! That was your phrase, I think?"
"Ah, and when, may I ask?"
"At once, sir.
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