"You miserable child!"
He pronounced it deliberately, syllable by syllable, and turned upon Tristram.
"Will you kindly explain, sir, to what I owe the honour of your presence in my garden?"
Tristram, who had never before been addressed with harshness, failed to understand the tone of this speech, and answered with amiable directness—
"I tumbled in, off a flower-pot."
"Indeed!"
"Yes; and I stayed because I liked the girl here."
"You do her infinite honour."
"I'm going away now because I'm hungry. But I'll come back again after dinner, all right."
"No," said Captain Runacles grimly; "on that point you must allow me to correct you. You infernal young cub, if I catch you here again—"