Arminell: A Social Romance, Vol. 2Baring-Gould, S. (Sabine)
General
Arminell: A Social Romance, Vol. 2
Baring-Gould, S. (Sabine)
English fiction -- 19th century
“I am sorry, really it is too bad, after all that has been done—no, I
will say nothing about that. Confound it all, it is too bad. And what
can I do? If I write a correction, will it be inserted? If inserted,
will it not serve for a leader in which all I have admitted is
exaggerated and distorted, and I am made to be doubly in the wrong? And
now, I suppose it is high time for Giles to go to school. I don’t want
you to suppose that this idea of mine has risen in any way from this
damned article, or has anything whatever to do with it, because it has
not. I do not for one instant attribute to you any part in it. I know
that it shocks you as it shocks me; that you see how wrong it is, as I
do. But, nevertheless, Giles must go to school; his mother and I have
talked it over, and between you and me, I don’t want the boy—dear monkey
that he is—to be over-coddled at home. His mother is very fond of him,
and gets alarmed if the least thing is the matter with him, and fidgets
and frets, and, in a word, the boy may get spoiled by his mother. A lad
must learn to hold his own among others, to measure himself beside
others, and, above all, to give way where it is courteous, as well as
right to give way. A boy must learn that others have to be considered as
well as himself, and there is no place like school for teaching a fellow
that. So Giles must go to school. Poor little creature, I wonder how he
will like it? Cry at first, and then make up his mind to bear it. I do
trust if he have his bad dreams, the other chaps won’t bolster and lick
him for squalling out at night and rousing them. Poor monkey! I hope
they will make allowance for him. He is not very strong. Giles must go
to school, and not be coddled here. His mother is absurdly fond of the
little fellow. I don’t want to hurry you—Saltren, and you can always
rely on me as ready to do my best for you, but I think you ought to look
about you, at your leisure, you know, but still look about you. And,
damn that article, don’t you have anything to do with Welsh, he will
lead you, heaven alone knows whither.”
“My lord,” said Saltren, “you forestall me. I myself was about to ask
leave to depart. I have not the natural qualifications for a tutor; I
lack, perhaps, the necessary patience. I intend to embrace the literary
profession. Indeed, I may almost say that I have secured a situation
which will make me independent. Secured is, possibly, too decided a
word—I have applied for one.”
“I am glad to hear it, I am very glad. My lady said she thought you had
a fancy for something else. But—don’t have anything to do with Welsh. He
will carry you along the wrong course, along one where I could do
nothing for you, and, I will always help you when I can.”
“My lord, whenever you can, with convenience, spare me——”
“Spare you! Oh don’t let us stand in your way. You have almost got a
berth to get into?”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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