I'm going."
"But the quarter's notice?"
"I'll pay forfeit. Look after the packing and leave me alone."
Mr. Beeton discussed this new departure with his wife, who decided that Bessie
was at the bottom of it all. Her husband took a more charitable view.
"It's very sudden--but then he was always sudden in his ways. Listen to him
now!"
There was a sound of chanting from Dick's room.
"We'll never come back any more, boys,
We'll never come back no more;
We'll go to the deuce on any excuse,
And never come back no more!
Oh say we're afloat or ashore, boys,
Oh say we're afloat or ashore;
But we'll never come back any more, boys,
We'll never come back no more!"
"Mr. Beeton! Mr. Beeton! Where the deuce is my pistol?"
"Quick, he's going to shoot himself 'avin" gone mad!" said Mrs. Beeton.
Mr. Beeton addressed Dick soothingly, but it was some time before the latter,
threshing up and down his bedroom, could realise the intention of the promises
to 'find everything tomorrow, sir.'
"Oh, you copper-nosed old fool--you impotent Academician!" he shouted at last.
"Do you suppose I want to shoot myself? Take the pistol in your silly shaking
hand then. If you touch it, it will go off, because it's loaded.
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