“No, but you would think it all the same,” cried the Colonel. “Now, look here, Jollivet; you and I have enough to live upon comfortably.”

“Quite.”

“But there’s nothing left to start these two young dogs well in life; now is there?”

“Well—er—rum—er—no; there is not much, Pendarve, certainly.”

“That’s what I have been thinking, and though the idle, reckless young dogs do not deserve it—do you hear, you two? I say you don’t deserve it.”

“Joe doesn’t,” said Gwyn, with a mischievous grin at his companion.

“No, not at all,” said Joe. “I’m nearly as bad as Gwyn.”

“Ah, you’re a nice pair,” said the Colonel. “But we, as fathers, must, I suppose, give you both a good preparation for the army—eh, Jollivet?”

“Yes, of course that must be done,” said the Major.

“Exactly! Well, I’ve been thinking a great deal about it this last day or two, and I have quite come to the conclusion that I must do something.”