For many reasons his parents considered
his preparatory school too strenuous for him, and, as he had considerably
outgrown his strength, it was arranged to allow him to miss the spring
term and to stay at Durracombe until Easter. He was to go every morning
to the Vicarage for private lessons from Mr. Carey, and he was to be out
of doors as much as possible, drink plenty of milk, and try, as his
grandfather expressed it, to 'put on flesh.' Master Clive himself was
only too well content to have what he justly considered a continuation of
his holidays. He did not mean to be too clever over his lessons at the
Vicarage, and, indeed, he planned to make a little work go a long way.
Being out of doors as much as possible suited him exactly. He strutted
about Durracombe, with a rolling naval walk, making friends with
everybody, and telling them he had quite determined to go to sea and
become an Admiral. He went out motoring with his grandfather or Dr.
Ramsay, and he spent a considerable portion of time with Tom, the old
gardener, who was long-suffering in many ways, though roused to wrath by
any injury to his young bedding-out plants.
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