“It’s of no use for me to complain,” he thought. “Uncle hates me, and he will not believe, and it’s too hard to bear.”
“Once for all, sir,” cried his uncle, “remember this—if you stay here there must be a marked improvement in your conduct, both as to your work at the office and your behaviour in my house. I won’t have it—do you hear? I won’t have it. That sulky way too won’t go down with me. Here you, Sam, undress and get to bed, and if he interferes with you again, call me at once; but if I do come up, unwilling as I should be, I shall feel called upon, out of my duty to his mother, to read him a very severe lesson, such as his schoolmaster should have read him years ago. Now silence, both of you; and as for you, sir, bear in mind what I have said, for, as you ought to know by this time, I am a man of my word.”
The door was shut loudly, and the resounding steps were heard, followed by the banging of the bedroom door on the next floor.
“There, now you know, bumpkin,” said Sam, with a sneering laugh.
Tom sat up in bed as if a spring had been touched.
“You sneak!” he cried.
“What?”
“I say you sneak—you miserable, cowardly sneak!”
“Look here,” cried Sam, “you say another word and I’ll call the guv’nor, and you know what he meant; he’ll give you a good licking, and serve you right.”
“Oh!” muttered Tom between his teeth, while his cousin went on quietly undressing.