“Is your grandfather as much afraid of my uncle as ever, Doll?”
“Oh yes, I think so; and do you know, Ernest, I don’t quite like the way he looks at him sometimes.”
Ernest laughed. “I should think that the old boy is harmless enough,” he said.
“I hope so,” said Dorothy.
When first they came back to Dum’s Ness, Jeremy was at a great loss to know what to do with himself, and was haunted by the idea that Mr. Cardus would want him to resume that stool in his office which years before he had quitted to go in search of Ernest. A week or so after his arrival, however, his fears were very pleasantly set at rest. After breakfast, Mr. Cardus sent for him to come into his office.
“Well, Jeremy,” he said, letting his soft black eyes wander round that young gentleman’s gigantic form—for it was by now painfully large—not so much in height, for he was not six feet three—as in its great width, which made big men look like children beside him, and even dwarfed his old grandfather’s enormous frame—“well, Jeremy, what do you think of doing? You are too big for a lawyer; all your clients would be afraid of you.”
“I don’t know about being too big,” said Jeremy, solemnly, “but I know that I am too great an ass. Besides, I can’t afford to spend several years in being articled at my time of life.”
“Quite so. Then what do you propose doing?”
“I don’t know from Adam.”
“Well, how would you like to turn your sword to a plough-share, and become a farmer?”