"Because I should lose all my tobacco, which would be forfeited to the customs."
Tommy hesitated.
Looking critically at him with his keen, selfish, blue eyes, Charley added:
"I didn't think you would make any difficulty about such a little thing after the friend I've been to you."
"But——"
"Oh, if you're so awful mean, say no more about it. I'm tired of roughing it, and intend to go home. My only idea in smuggling the tobacco was that I should have a little spending money when I reached home, and not look poor."
"Are your friends well off?"
"Tolerably. Father is a professor, and keeps quite a fashionable boarding school for young gentlemen in London."
"And you mean to go back?"
"Yes. I'll return to Greek and algebra, and learn all I can. Seeing the world is all very well, but it doesn't pay when you can do better at home," answered Wild Charley.