‘Yes, an old man.’
‘Well, we shall all be old some day, and so will your lordship, I suppose; but as yet—’
‘I tell you I am an old man!’
‘Yes, my lord—I did not mean to contradict. An old man in one sense—old in a young man’s sense, but not in a house-of-parliament or historical sense. A little oldish—I meant that, my lord.’
‘I may be an old man in one sense or in another sense in your mind; but let me tell you there are men older than I—’
‘Yes, so there are, my lord.’
‘People may call me what they please, and you may be impertinent enough to repeat to me what they say, but let me tell you I am not a very old man after all. I am not an old man.’
‘Old in knowledge of the world I meant, my lord, not in years.’
‘Well, yes. Experience of course I cannot be without. And I like what is beautiful. Tipman, you must go to Knollsea; don’t send, but go yourself, as I wish nobody else to be concerned in this. Go to Knollsea, and find out when the steamboat for Cherbourg starts; and when you have done that, I shall want you to send Taylor to me. I wish Captain Strong to bring the Fawn round into Knollsea Bay. Next week I may want you to go to Cherbourg in the yacht with me—if the Channel is pretty calm—and then perhaps to Rouen and Paris. But I will speak of that to-morrow.’
‘Very good, my lord.’