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Updated: May 14, 2025
Well, I suppose you are not going to wait for one uncle to take a garden for you and the other to dig it up?" "No," I said sturdily; "I shall work for myself." "Right! I don't like boys to be cocky and impudent but I like a little self-dependence." As the time went on, Old Brownsmith taught me how to bud roses and prune, and, later on, to graft.
I turned and saw Sir Francis beckoning to me, and I went up to him. "Better? Yes, of course. Boys always get better," he said. "Look here. Behaved very well yesterday. Go on. I've said a word to Brownsmith about you; but, look here: don't you tease my lads. Boys will be boys, I know; but they are not in your station of life, and you must not try to make companions of them."
Shock ran by us with a rush, mounted his ladder, and I hurried up mine, to go on picking as well, while, panting and hot, smarting with blows and anger, I wondered what Old Brownsmith would say to me for what I had done. He only went along the path, however, with his cats, as he saw that Ike was there, and the apple-picking went on till he was out of sight.
Then there was a low murmur for a few minutes, and Sir Francis came back into the library and stood by the table, with the light shining on his great silver moustache; and I thought what a fine, handsome, fierce old fellow he looked as he stood frowning there for quite a minute without speaking. Then, turning to Mr Solomon, he said quickly: "I beg your pardon, Brownsmith.
Just then I heard a loud cough that I knew was old Brownsmith's, for I had heard it dozens of times, and Shock's head disappeared as if by magic. I jumped up to see, for I felt sure that Shock was going to catch it, and then I saw that old Brownsmith was not in his garden, but in the lane on our side, and that he was close beneath the window looking up at me.
For a few moments I stood listening, and then, feeling very uncomfortable, I stole out, ran into the house, and stood before Old Brownsmith with the slate. "Anything the matter?" he said. "There's someone up in the loft over the packing-shed asleep," I said hoarsely. "In the loft!" he said quickly. "Oh! it is only Shock. He often sleeps there. You'll find his nest in amongst the Russia mats."
"We call these large baskets barges. You'll soon pick up the names. There, go on." I at once began to keep count of the bunches, Old Brownsmith seeming to take no farther notice of me, while Ike the packer kept on laying in dozen after dozen, once or twice pretending to lay them in and bringing the bunches out again, as if to balk me, but all in a grim serious way, as if it was part of his work.
P'r'a'ps I might get him up sooner if I used the whip; but how would you like any one to use a whip on you when you was picking apples or counting baskets of strawbys into a wan?" "Not at all," I said, laughing. "Well, then, what call is there to use it on a boss? He knows what he can do, and he doos it." "Has Mr Brownsmith had him long?" "Has Old Brownsmith had him long?" he said correctively.
Again I found myself wondering how the money would be obtained, and I thought that Old Brownsmith would be sure to be cheated; but Ike looked quite easy, and instead of there being so many things in the market that ours would not sell, I found that the men around bought them up eagerly, and the baskets grew less in number than ever.
I looked at him indignantly, for he seemed to be suspecting me, he was so cold and hard, and distant in his manner. "Mr Brownsmith always trusted me amongst his fruit," I said angrily. "Humph!" said Mr Solomon, "and so you weren't going to eat the peach?" "He was; I saw him. It was close up to his mouth." "It is not true," I cried.
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