“Well,” said Charlie, “it depends a good deal on the books. Some books of travel are so vivid one almost seems to be in the country they describe.
“Er—what did you say, Reader?”
Reader was quick enough to take this broad hint, and keep up the talk.
“To my mind, the most interesting books are those which describe, not so much places, as people and their manners. There are a great many books of this kind about India. One I lately read was specially interesting.”
And then, to Jim’s unbounded delight and gratitude, George began calmly to give a review a quarter of an hour long of the work in question for the benefit of the two old people, who, as they listened, became more and more impressed with the importance of their nephew’s friend, and of the impossibility of obtruding their special grievance on the party at the present time. Indeed, the aunt had almost forgotten the speech with which she had come prepared, in her pleasure at hearing the young men talk, and she even joined in the conversation in a manner which showed how she enjoyed it. The uncle was still gloomy, and appeared to be waiting the first favourable opportunity for “coming to the point.”
The opportunity, however, never occurred. After a long and lively talk on all sorts of matters, Jim adroitly turned the conversation on to the subject of athletics by appealing to his uncle to add his voice to that of Reader’s other friends in rebuking him for never taking any exercise.
“Look at his pale face!” he exclaimed; “isn’t it a disgrace?”
George bore this attack good-naturedly, and began to excuse himself; but the uncle, who had not before noticed his looks, interrupted him by saying,—
“Pardon me, sir, but I quite agree with James. If is very wrong to cultivate the brain at the expense of the body.”
This observation brought down Charlie’s hearty approval, who forthwith launched into a rhapsody on athletic sports—particularly football—appealing in every sentence to the uncle, who now found himself fairly in the toils.