“Then you thought jolly well wrong. He does. So you must just make up your mind to go home when I do.”
“Why are you so keen on it, Percy? Why, man, it might be immeasurably to your advantage if I never went back at all.”
“Look here, Hilary, if you really mean that, I’m not a beastly cad yet.”
“Well, I don’t really mean it,” said the other, touched by the young fellow’s chivalrous single-heartedness. “Perhaps we may bring off your scheme all right. I would like to see the dear old chap again. I must have treated him very shabbily. And the old Canon—is he still to the fore?”
“Rather, and as nailing good an old sort as ever. He wants to see you again too—almost as much as Uncle Luke does.”
“Ah, he always was a straight ’un—not an ounce of shoddy or humbug about him—”
“Come on, you fellows, or we’ll never get to work,” shouted Earle’s voice, now very far ahead of them.
And leaving their home talk and reminiscences for the present, they spurred on their steeds—to join the rest of the party.
[a/]