“Silence, sir!” cried the Major. “Nothing of the sort. Don’t exaggerate, Joe.”
“No, father.”
“He doesn’t, Dick. You’ve had a nasty touch this morning, or you wouldn’t have spoken to me like that.”
“I couldn’t help it, old man,” said the Major, warmly. “But surely you will never be so mad as to go pumping out that old place.”
“H’m! I don’t know about mad. Be useful to make a little money for the sake of the boy.”
“Very bad to lose a great deal for the sake of the boy.”
“Nothing venture, nothing win, Dick. I’m beginning to think that it would be worth while to put some money in the venture, and I came up this morning to make you the first offer of joining in.”
“And throwing away my bit of money, too. No, sir, not if I know it. I’m not quite such an idiot as that.”
“You mean as I am,” said the Colonel, quietly.
“I did not say so,” retorted the Major. “I should not dream of insulting an old friend by using such language.”