Compete with five-and-twenty? Age, my boy!"
"Old man, no nonsense!—even to a boy
That 's ripe at least for rationality
Rapped into him, as maybe mine was, once!
I 've had my small adventure lesson me
Over the knuckles!—likely, I forget
The sort of figure youth cuts now and then,
Competing with old shoulders but young head
Despite the fifty grizzling years!"
"Aha?