“No, sir,” I said sadly.
“Then you have not tried?”
“Indeed, sir, both Esau and I have tried very hard, as his mother is so averse to his going abroad.”
“Then you have given up all thought of going abroad, my dear boy?”
I shook my head.
“But you should, Mayne,” said Mrs John, in rather a low voice. “We are forced to go for my health’s sake, but you are young and strong, and with energy you ought to succeed here.”
“I should like to do what you think right, ma’am,” I said sadly.
“And we both think it right, my boy,” said Mr John. “We should dearly like to have you with us; but it would be unjust to you to encourage you to take a step which you might afterwards bitterly repent, and we should feel ourselves to blame.”
I looked at Mrs John, and she took my hand, and said sadly—
“Yes, we have had many talks about it, Mayne, and we can only come to that conclusion.”