The things we do!

The Colonel began his second verse: and here, as will often happen to
amateur singers, his falsetto broke down. He was not in the least
annoyed, for I saw him smile very good-naturedly; and he was going to try
the verse again, when that unlucky Barnes first gave a sort of crowing
imitation of the song, and then burst into a yell of laughter. Clive
dashed a glass of wine in his face at the next minute, glass and all; and
no one who had watched the young man's behaviour was sorry for the
insult.
I never saw a kind face express more terror than Colonel Newcome's. He
started back as if he had himself received the blow from his son.
"Gracious God!" he cried out. "My boy insult a gentleman at my table!"
"I'd like to do it again," says Clive, whose whole body was trembling
with anger.
"Are you drunk, sir?" shouted his father.
"The boy served the young fellow right, sir," growled Fred Bayham in his
deepest voice. "Come along, young man. Stand up straight, and keep a
civil tongue in your head next time, mind you, when you dine with
gentlemen.


Pages:
314 315 316 317 318 319 320 321 322 323 324 325 326 327 328 329 330 331 332 333 334 335 336 337 338