The complexion was nearly sallow, with the exception of the nose, which had rather deepened in colour. The skin was loose and flabby, and the eyes dull and a little bloodshot. But perhaps the greatest alteration was in the dress. Dick wore an old light tweed shooting-coat of his, and a pair of loose trousers of blue serge; while, instead of the formally tied black neckcloth his father had worn for a quarter of a century, he had a large scarf round his neck of some crude and gaudy colour; and the conventional chimney-pot hat had been discarded for a shabby old wide-brimmed felt wideawake. Altogether, it was by no means the costume which a British merchant, with any self-respect whatever, would select, even for a country visit. And thus they met, as perhaps never, since this world was first set spinning down the ringing grooves of change, met father and son before! 14. _An Error of Judgment_ "The Survivorship of a worthy Man in his Son is a Pleasure scarce inferior to the Hopes of the Continuance of his own Life." _Spectator._ "Du bist ein Knabe--sei es immerhin Und fahre fort, den Fröhlichen zu spielen." SCHILLER, _Don Carlos_. Paul was the first to break a very awkward silence. "You young scoundrel!" he said, with suppressed rage. "What the devil do you mean by laughing like that? It's no laughing matter, let me tell you, sir, for one of us!" "I can't help laughing," said Dick; "you do look so queer!" "Queer! I may well look queer. I tell you that I have never, never in my whole life, spent such a perfectly infernal week as this last!" "Ah!" observed Dick, "I thought you wouldn't find it _all_ jam! And yet you seemed to be enjoying yourself, too," he said with a grin, "from that letter you wrote." "What made you come here? Couldn't you be content with your miserable victory, without coming down to crow and jeer at me?" "It isn't that," said Dick. "I--I thought I should like to see the fellows, and find out how you were getting on, you know." These, however, were not his only and his principal motives. He had come down to get a sight of Dulcie. "Well, sir," said Mr. Bultitude, with ponderous sarcasm, "you'll be delighted to hear that I'm getting on uncommonly well--oh, uncommonly! Your high-spirited young friends batter me to sleep with slippers on most nights, and, as a general thing, kick me about during the day like a confounded football! And last night, sir, I was going to be expelled; and this morning I'm forgiven, and sentenced to be soundly flogged before the whole school! It was just about to take place as you came in; and I've every reason to believe it is merely postponed!" "I say, though," said Dick, "you must have been going it rather, you know. I've never been expelled. Has Chawner been sneaking again? What have you been up to?"