As long
as communication was confined to the merest commonplace all went well,
but if these were departed from ever such a little he invariably felt
that his father's instincts showed themselves in immediate opposition to
his own. When he was attacked his father laid whatever stress was
possible on everything which his opponents said. If he met with any
check his father was clearly pleased. What the old doctor had said about
Theobald's speaking ill of no man was perfectly true as regards others
than himself, but he knew very well that no one had injured his
reputation in a quiet way, so far as he dared to do, more than his own
father. This is a very common case and a very natural one. It often
happens that if the son is right, the father is wrong, and the father is
not going to have this if he can help it.
It was very hard, however, to say what was the true root of the mischief
in the present case. It was not Ernest's having been imprisoned.
Theobald forgot all about that much sooner than nine fathers out of ten
would have done. Partly, no doubt, it was due to incompatibility of
temperament, but I believe the main ground of complaint lay in the fact
that he had been so independent and so rich while still very young, and
that thus the old gentleman had been robbed of his power to tease and
scratch in the way which he felt he was entitled to do.
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