Yes, but people were getting so much broader-minded, weren’t they?
Father had heard that that was the case; but in his opinion excess of breadth was an even more serious menace to the Empire—being a great Proconsul, of course, Father always thought Imperially—than to err a little on the other side.
If you looked at things in that way, thought Mr. Philip.
Don’t cheek your father and a proconsul, too, you young bounder, said the Twin Brethren.
Don’t let those eyebrows overawe you, my son, said the Green Chartreuse.
How else could one look at things? the Proconsul inquired in tones of pained expostulation.
“This is the way I look at things, father,” said Mr. Philip, “if you don’t mind my goin’ into details.”
“Pray do so, my boy. I shall welcome them.”
“Well, this is my feelin’ on the subject. You are sort of shot here, don’t you know, without anybody askin’ you whether you wanted to come. You are sort of dumped here, don’t you know, and told to make the best of a pretty bad mix-up. Well, I don’t mind tellin’ you, father, I’ve been gettin’ rather fed up with the whole Affair lately.”
An idle and selfish course of life leads invariably to that state of mind, said Father in effect, though his language was politer. It was a great mistake ever to have left the Second.