“No, my lad. It was against my wish that Sage took to it. I would rather have seen her making the bread-and-butter at home; and there was no need for her to have gone into the world; and as you know, it was then I set my face against your going in for it as well.”
“Indeed, sir!”
“Yes, my lad. You’d a deal better have been content to take up with your father’s honest old business of tanning. There’s a good trade to be done.”
“Yes, sir, but I felt myself so unsuited for the trade, and I liked books.”
“And didn’t care about dirtying thy hands, Luke. No, my lad, I think it was a mistake.”
“A mistake, sir?”
“Yes, and I’ll show you. Now, look here, my boy,” continued the Churchwarden, pointing with the waxy end of his pipe. “No lad of spirit thinks of taking help from his father, after his first start in the world.”
“Of course not, sir.”
“And a lad of spirit don’t go hanging on to his wife’s people.”
“No, sir.”