"Pray don't imagine, my boy, that that is any burden to him."
"It is a burden to me, and I will endure it no longer. While at school, I knew nothing of these things, and not much while I was at college. Now I do know something, and feel something. If you please, sir, I will renounce any further assistance from you whatever; and beg, in return, that you will say nothing further to me as to any quarrel there may be between you and Sir Lionel."
"Quarrel!" said his uncle, getting up and standing with his back to the fire. "He has not spirit enough to quarrel with me."
"Well, I have," said George, who was now walking about the room; and from the fire in his eyes, it certainly appeared that he spoke the truth in this respect.
"I know the bitterness of your spirit against your brother," continued George; "but your feelings should teach you not to show it before his son."
Mr. Bertram was still standing with his hands in his pockets, leaning against the mantel-piece, with his coat-tails over his arms. He said nothing further at once, but continued to fix his eyes on his nephew, who was now walking backwards and forwards from one end of the room to the other with great vehemence. "I think," at last said George, "that it will be better that I should go back to town. Good-night, sir."
"You are an ass," said his uncle.
"Very likely," said George. "But asses will kick sometimes."
"And bray too," said his uncle.
There was a certain spirit about them both which made it difficult for either altogether to get the better of the other.