Part 6 (2/2)
”Tidy, sir, tidy; but don't you ht at him, and let hiht then Maybe he'll let out at you at first, but all the ti chap as is the worst warht Day, Master Aleck!”
”Good day, Tos if he forgets”
”He won't forget, sir; the captain's a gen'le o' that sort Now then, sir, ra like getting it over Head first and out of your er shut one eye, gave the lad a frown and a knowing look, and then away he went up a rugged staircase-like pathway to the top of the cliff, looking every moment, while Aleck watched, as if he would slip off, but never slipping once, and finally turning at the top to take off and wave his hat, and then he was gone
CHAPTER FIVE
”Oh, dear!” groaned Aleck ”How am I to face him?” and he went on till only a few steps divided hiain ”I wonder where he is In the study, I suppose--write, write, write, at that great history Can't I leave it and get into my room with a bad headache? It's only true It aches horribly I'll send word by Jane that I'm too poorly to come down Bah!” muttered the boy ”What nonsense; he'd co for arden He mustn't seeto et in and upstairs without his seeing me Oh, if I only--”
”Hullo! Aleck, lad, what are you doing there? Why are you so late?
Dinner has been ready quite an hour”
The captain had suddenly appeared fro down at the lad
”I was coht, and--hat in the name of wonder is the matter with you? Where have you been? Why, by all that's wonderful, you've been fighting!”
”Yes, uncle,” said the lad, with a gasp of relief, for it see fashi+on, he had been suddenly dragged in
”I thought so,” cried the captain, angrily ”Here--no, stop; come up to the house, to my rooht the lad, diset it over et into a furious passion with an to sturavel path, his chin pressed down upon his chest, and not uttering a word, only coughing slightly now and then, as if to clear his voice for the fierce tirade of angry words that was to colance round nor speak, but strode on, evidently growing ht, for as he walked he kept on kicking the loose shelly covering of the path over the flower beds, while the silence kept up seemed to Aleck oht; ”it h! He seemed to be astonished”
Culprit-like, the lad followed close at his uncle's heels till the side entrance was reached, where, hat seery perturbation, the old officer stopped short, rested one hand upon the door-post to steady hihtest degree necessary, to wit: he scraped his shoes ain--for there was not even a scrap of dust to remove
”Stand back a moment, sir,” cried the captain, suddenly ”Jane has heard us, and is carrying in the dinner Don't let her see you in that state”
Aleck shrank to one side, and then as a door was heard to close, started forward again in obedience to his uncle's order
”Now in, quick--into the study”
He led the way sharply, and Aleck sprang after hiave the -rooli that she uttered an involuntary ”Oh, , hereyes
”Corily, as Aleck paused to turn for ahis head deprecatingly at thetheraph to one who took much interest in his appearance: ”Not hurt much I couldn't help it!”
He started violently then at his uncle's stern command, uttered like an order to a company of men to step into some deadly breach, and the nextat hi it back with the legs, giving forth a sound like a harsh snort as they scraped over the bare oaken floor
Aleck drew a long deep breath and tried to tighten up his nerves, ready for what he felt was going to be a desperate encounter with the fierce-looking oldexperience he knew to be harsh, stern, and troubled with a terrible tee at ti which periods he would hardly speak a word to his nephew, leaving him to himself save when he ca ti on with one or other of the studies which the old arden
”I want you, though you lead this lonely life with row up fairly learned in what is necessary for a young one out of this weary world, you entleman, whose sole aim is to find out how he can best aentleman, one whom, if people do not admire because his ways are not the same as theirs, they will find thee fits of what Aleck, perhaps instigated by Jane, their one servant, called ”master's temper,” would be followed by weeks of mental blue sky, when the black clouds rolled away and the sun of a genial disposition shone out, and the old h affection upon his nephew The result of all this was that the boy's feelings towards the old man, who had always occupied the position of father to hi of fear of his harshness, veneration of his learning and power of instructing hi he learned, and love For there were tiloohly hates me and wishes me away,” while there were ti, and ready to feel certain that the old man loved hiht the boy, ”or he wouldn't have nursed and coddled me up so when I had that fever and the doctor told Jane that he had done all he could, and that I should die--go out with the tide next day
That's what I like in uncle,” he mused, ”when he isn't out of temper-- he's so clever Knew ever so much better than the doctor What did he say then? 'Doctors are all very well, Aleck, but there are times when the nurse is the better man--that is, when it's a cock nurse and not a hen You had a cock nurse, boy, and I pulled you through'”