Part 1 (1/2)
Core Manville Fenn
CHAPTER ONE
A HOME AT SEA
”Here, you, Vince!” cried Doctor Burnet, pausing in his surgery with a bottle in each hand--one large and the other small, the latter about to be filled for the benefit of a patient who believed hirieved when his medical adviser told him that he would be quite well if he did not eat so ery door at the end of the long, low granite house
”Upon my word!” cried the Doctor; ”it's lucky we have nobody here to see you No one would ever take you for a gentleman's son”
”Why not, father?”
”Why not, sir! Look at your trousers and your boots”
Vincent Burnet looked down, and then up in his father's face
”Trousers a bit tight across the knee,” he said deprecatingly ”The cloth gave way”
”And were your boots too tight at the toes, sir? Look at them”
”They alear out there,” said Vincent; and he once ht knee of his trousers, to his boots, whose toes seemed each to have developed a wide reat grey tongue
”I don't think this pair were very good leather, father,” he said apologetically
”Good leather, sir! You'd wear them out it they were cast iron--Ah, my dear!”
A pleasant, soft face appeared at the door, and looked anxiously fro the matter, Robert?”
”Matter? Look at this fellow's clothes and boots!”
”Oh, Vince, ain!”
”Torn theular scarecrow!” cried the Doctor ”I will not pay for good things for hi in caves--Here: what are you going to do?”
”Take him indoors to sew up that slit”
”No!” cried the Doctor, filling up the bottle; and then,a small cork squeak as he screwed it in, ”Take your scissors and cut the legs off four inches above the knees”
”Robert!” cried Mrs Burnet, in a tone of protest
”And look here, Vince: you can give up wearing shoes and stockings; they are for civilised beings, not for young savages”