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At the age of thirteen, his uncle for the poor fellow was an orphan asked him one day what he would like to be. This was an extraordinary condescension on the part of Mr Allfrey, senior, who was a grim, hard-featured man, with little or no soul to speak of, and with an enormously large ill-favoured body.
Mr Allfrey, senior, received Joe's invitation with a benignant and patronising smile, but he did not accept it, neither did he give him any encouragement to suppose that he sympathised with his views on that subject. There is reason to believe, however, that his opinions on this head were somewhat modified in after years.
Having little money left, he was compelled to take credit, which Jeffson readily granted to him, knowing full well that there was little fear of the account remaining long unpaid. In order that the reader may have an idea of the charges made at the diggings in those days, we subjoin the list of purchases made at the commencement of operations by the firm of "Allfrey, Douglas and Company."
"That must not be," said Frank Allfrey, advancing, "it would be unfair to put your friend to unnecessary trouble, considering the state of weakness to which " "Waikness, is it?" exclaimed Quin, seizing Frank's hand and shaking it; "well, now, it's little I thought I'd iver live to be called waik!
"Not quite," replied Frank, smiling in spite of himself at the irascibility of the old gentleman, "and yet I presume that Rubens and Titian began to paint before either themselves or others were aware of the fact that they possessed any genius at all." "Tut, tut," cried Mr Allfrey impatiently, "but what have you ever done, boy, to show your ability to paint?"
Then Frank Allfrey leaped upon him, and grasping him by the throat wrenched the pistol out of his hand. "Murderer!" he exclaimed, tightening his hold, as Bradling struggled to release himself. "I'm no murderer," gasped Bradling; "you saw as well as I did that the fellow threatened to shoot me. Besides, he is not dead."
Frank Allfrey experienced a strange mingling of feelings when he heard this.
When Frank reached the age of eighteen, Mr Allfrey called him into his private "study," so called because he was in the habit of retiring regularly at fixed periods every day to study nothing there, and, having bidden him sit down, accosted him thus: "Well, boy, have you thought over what I said to you yesterday about fixing upon some profession?
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