“Why, you do, uncle. It’s astonishing what a lot we have done. Let’s see; it’s just fifteen months since you bought the schooner.”
“Fifteen, boy? You mean fifty.”
“Fifteen, uncle; and she was nothing like finished then.”
“No, and as soon as the men knew that she was sold, I believe they made up their minds to spin the job out as long as they could.”
“Oh, but, uncle, they did it all very beautifully; and see what a lot of alterations you had made.”
“Had made, indeed! Wasn’t I led on into having them done by that old scoundrel Chubb?”
“No, uncle. He always consulted with you first, and advised this and that so as to make the vessel better.”
“Humph!” grunted Uncle Paul.
“Then see what a lot you had done, fitting up the work-room, and the bottles and tanks, and getting in the dredging apparatus. It does seem a long time to you, but see what a lot there was to do. You know you were never satisfied.”
“I was, sir! Don’t you get accusing me of such things, Rodney. You grow more impertinent every day. Now put a regular check upon yourself, sir. If you are like this as a boy I don’t know what you are going to be when you grow to be a man.”