Part 19 (2/2)
”What for? He'd spoil it all Want to knock all the fun out of our discovery?”
The scrap was shut up in the book and pushed back to the sender; the work continued, and then cae and the book once more, with a fresh scrap of paper stuck in
”I say, I can't get on a bit for thinking about the Black Scraw”
Vince wrote on the back:
”More can I Get on with your work, and don't bother”
This was forwarded by library table post, and then there was nothing heard but the scratching of the tutor's pen But Mike's restlessness increased: he fidgeted and shuffled about in his chair, shook the table, and tried all kinds of positions to help hiebraic problehs danced before his eyes; great dark holes opened in the rocks, and the desire to finish work, get out in the bright sunshi+ne, and run and shout, seemed s a little, he took a fresh piece of paper, laid it over his pluses and matically:
”Lanthorn and rope”
This he blotted, glanced at the hard-working student across the table, and then thrust it sidewise to Vince, who took it, read it, and, turning it over, wrote:
”You be hanged!”
He was in the act of blotting it when the pen dropped froers; he sat up, and extended his hand as he looked sternly across the table
”Give me that piece of paper, Vincent,” he said
Vince hesitated; but the tutor's eyes gazed firht
He passed the paper across to Mr Deane, and then nearly juave him a violent kick under the table
”To be paid with interest,” thought Vince
”Oh! you jolly sneak, to give it up!” thought Mike, as the tutor read the paper on both sides
”I a to clear his voice--”very sorry to have to exercisethislike a pair of inattentive, idle schoolboys; but when I undertook to act as your tutor, it ith the full understanding that I was to have complete authority over you, and that you were both to treathorribly guilty If Hue, they ht have felt ready to resent his words; but the injured tone, the grave, gentle ht home to both, and they listened, with their eyes upon their scanty display of work, as the tutor went on
”You both know,” he said, ”thatas you both ith me and try your best, it is a pleasure to ratification than I do when you get on”
”Mr Deane,” began Vince
”One moment, and I have done,” continued the tutor ”You well know that I try to make your studies pleasant”
”Yes, sir,” said Mike