“It’s no joke, young fellow,” he said; “and I’m not romancing.”
“No, no, no,” I panted out; “not—laughing—at you. Look—look!”
I pointed at Esau, and Mr Gunson’s face relaxed into a smile, and then he too laughed heartily at the comical, horror-stricken countenance before us.
“What are you laughing at?” cried Esau. “I say, though, do you mean it? Shall we have to go without sometimes like that?”
“Of course you will.”
“I say, Mr Gordon,” said Esau, in despondent tones, “hadn’t we better go back?”
“Go back?—no!” I cried. “It will not be very pleasant, but we can eat all the more afterwards.”
Esau brightened up.
“Yes,” he said. “I didn’t think of that.”
“You neither of you seem to have thought anything about what’s before you, my lads.”