They had stood out resolutely against more than one of his pranks,
and had been the only boys in the house not present on the occasion
of his last freak—-a champagne supper, when parodies had been sung,
caricaturing all the authorities; and when the company had become
uproarious enough to rouse the whole family, the boys were discovered
in the midst of the most audacious but droll mimicry of the masters.
As to work, Jock was developing the utmost faculties for leaving it
undone, trusting to his native facility for putting on the steam at
any crisis; and not believing in the warnings that he would fail in
passing for the army.
What was to be done with him? Was he to be taken away and sent to a
tutor? His mother consulted himself as he sat in his arm-chair.
"Like Rob!" he said, and made up a face.
"Rob is doing very well in the militia."
"No; don't do that, mother! Never fear, I'll put on a spurt when the
time comes!"
"I don't believe a spurt will do. Now, seriously, Jock-—"
"Don't say, seriously, mother: it's like H.S.H."
"Perhaps if I had been like her, you would not be vexing me so much
now."
"Come, come, mother, it's nothing to be vexed about. My tutor
needn't have bothered you. I've done nothing sneaking nor
ungentlemanly.
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