Part 2 (1/2)
”And I, Miles,” added Lucy; but it was so low, I had to lean forward to catch the syllables
”This is honest and right,”--it was honest, perhaps, but very wrong,--”and it convinces me that you are both reasonable, and will be of use to us Rupert and I have both made up our minds, and intend to be sailors”
Excla silence succeeded
”As for the law, hang all law!” I continued, he, and deterford as a lawyer”
”But you have _both_ heard of Hardinges ere clergyh the expression of her countenance was so painful that even now I dislike to recall it
”And sailors, too,” put in Rupert, a little randfather was an officer in the navy”
”And _my_ father was a sailor himself--in the navy, too”
”But there is no navy in this country now, Miles,” returned Lucy, in an expostulating tone
”What of that? There are plenty of shi+ps The ocean is just as big, and the world just as wide, as if we had a navy to cover the first I see no great objection on that account--do you, Ru?”
”Certainly not What ant is to go to sea, and that can be done in an Indiaman, as well as in amyself with a little ioes all the way to Calcutta, round the Cape of Good Hope, in the track of Vasquez de Gama, isn't exactly an Albany sloop”
”Who is Vasquez de Gama?” demanded Lucy, with so much quickness as to surprise uese, who discovered the Cape of Good Hope, and first sailed round it, and then went to the Indies You see, girls, even _nobles_ are sailors, and why should not Rupert and I be sailors?”
”It is not that, Miles,”is respectable Have you and Rupert spoken to Mr Hardinge on this subject?”
”Not exactly--not spoken--hinted only--that is, blindly--not so as to be understood, perhaps”
”He will _never_ consent, boys!” and this was uttered with so very like an air of triu it of him, Grace Rupert and I intend to be off next week, without saying a word to Mr Hardinge on the subject”
Another long, eloquent silence succeeded, during which I saw Lucy bury her face in her apron, while the tears openly ran down my sister's cheek
”You _do_ not--_cannot_ th said
”It is exactly because it will not be cruel, that we intend to do it,”--here I nudged Rupert with my elbow, as a hint that I wanted assistance; but he e, which I interpreted into as ot into the scrape in your oay, and you et out of it in the sa succour hopeless, ”yes, _that's_ just it”
”What is just it, Miles? You speak in a way to show that you are not satisfied with yourself--neither you nor Rupert is satisfied with himself, if the truth were known”
”I not satisfied with _myself!_ Rupert not satisfied with _himself!_ You never were more mistaken in your life, Grace If there ever were two boys in New York State that _were_ well satisfied with themselves, they are just Rupert and I”
Here Lucy raised her face fro her eyes all the while
”Believe them, dear Grace,” she said ”They are precisely two self-satisfied, silly fellows, that have got soin to talk about 'superficial views of duties,'
and all such nonsense My father will set it all right, and the boys will have had their talk”
”Not so last, Miss Lucy, if you please Your father will not know a syllable of the one We intend 'to relieve him from all responsibility in the premises'”