| 140 | 141 | 142 | 143 | 144 |
| 1 | 65 | 130 | 195 | 260 |
|
He sat down on the bed, his eye still on the glass. "If I'd been
exercised properly, if I'd been fed reasonable, if I hadn't been shoved
out of a silly school into a silly shop--But there! the old folks didn't
know no better. The schoolmaster ought to have. But he didn't, poor old
fool!--Still, when it comes to meeting a girl like this--It's 'ARD.
"I wonder what Adam'd think of me--as a specimen. Civilisation,
eigh? Heir of the ages! I'm nothing. I know nothing. I can't do
anything--sketch a bit. Why wasn't I made an artist?
"Beastly cheap, after all, this suit does look, in the sunshine."
"No good, Hoopdriver. Anyhow, you don't tell yourself any lies about it.
Lovers ain't your game,--anyway. But there's other things yet. You can
help the young lady, and you will--I suppose she'll be going home--And
that business of the bicycle's to see to, too, my man. FORWARD,
Hoopdriver! If you ain't a beauty, that's no reason why you should stop
and be copped, is it?"
And having got back in this way to a gloomy kind of self-satisfaction,
he had another attempt at his hair preparatory to leaving his room
and hurrying on breakfast, for an early departure. While breakfast was
preparing he wandered out into South Street and refurnished himself with
the elements of luggage again. "No expense to be spared," he murmured,
disgorging the half-sovereign.
142
Page
Quick Jump
|