Part 4 (2/2)

For breakfast was late, and aunt, uncle, and cousin did not put in an appearance till long after Tom had climbed upon his stool in Gray's Inn

CHAPTER FOUR

That day andupon the injustice of the treat more and more the misery of his new life He looked with envy at nearly every boy he ht of the happy, independent life they seeive up,” he would say through his set teeth ”Uncle shall see that if I'm not clever I can persevere, and master what I have to learn”

But in spite of his deterress very fast, for the simple reason that he expected to learn in a few months the work of many years

The weeks did not pass without plenty of unpleasant encounters with his cousin, while pretty well every day there was a snubbing or downright bullying frole would say; ”things always coreatest troubles was his home life, and the evident aversion shown to him by his aunt She had received him coldly and distantly at the first, and her manner did not become warmer as the months wore on Possibly she had once been a sweet, amiable woman, but troubles with her husband and son had produced an acidity of te which were not pleasant for those hom she lived Her husband escaped, from the fact that she held hi but the fondest attentions

Toh, and he soon saw for hi hi for him was evidently one of jealousy, as if his presence was likely to interfere with her darling's prospects

She resented his being there h Tom tried hard to win her love and esteem, he found at the end of six months that he was as far from his object as ever

”I'm only in the way there,” he often said to himself; ”I wish I could live always here at the office”

But as he thought this he looked round with a slight shi+ver, and thought of how dreary it would be shut up there with the law-books, tin boxes, and dusty papers, and he gave up the idea

Often of a night it was like a te to be free; and he would sit with a book before hi the adventures of boys of his own age who had gone away to seek their fortunes, and if they had not found all they sought, had at least achieved soht, with his cheeks flushi+ng, to be independent, and work his oithout encountering day by day his uncle's sour sneers and reproaches, his aunt's cold looks, and his cousin's tyranny

”I could rew day by day more rosy Those were pleasant paths, he told himself, that he wanted to tread, and it never occurred to hiht be harder than his uncle

But the outcos was always the sa before him to remind hi, his hands would clench beneath table or desk as he softlyto be a lawyer, and I will succeed”

But it has been written by a wise h-hew them hoill,” and Tom Blount was soon to find out its truth

Matters had been going very badly at Mornington Crescent, and the boy's life was harder than ever to bear, for, presu upon his patience, Sa to sting sufficiently, he had often had recourse to blows, and these To, he was about as conte at the office Sale was busily e staewise against a gum-bottle between him and his cousin

Just then Mr Brandon bustled in looking very stern and angry, and he gave a sharp look round the office Then his eyes lit upon Tom and his task

”What letters are those?” he said

”The tithe notices, sir, you told me to fill up and direct froht Oh, by the way, Samuel, did you post that letter to Mr Wilcox yesterday afternoon?”

”Yes, father,” said Saazing at the letter standing on edge between them

Sam turned pale as he now met Tom's keen look

It was all momentary, in the interval of Mr Brandon's first words and his next question ”Then how is it that Mr Wilcox has not received it, and been on tomy answer to an important question?”