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here.
Andhaveyoutoldyourfather?”askedFrancis.Does
UncleRobertknow?”
Yes;Iwrotetofatherthismorning,andI’mgoing
downtoAshbridgeto-morrow.Ishallbeverysorry
ifhedisapproves.”
Thenyou’llbesorry,”saidFrancis.
Iknow,butitwon’tmakeanydifference
tomyaction.Afterall,I’mtwenty-five;ifIcan’tbegin
tomanagemylifenow,youmaybesureInevershall.
ButIknowI’mright.Iwouldbetonmyinfallibility.
AtpresentI’veonlytoldyouhalfmyreasonsfor
resigning,andalreadyyouagreewithme.”
Francisdidnotcontradictthis.
Let’sheartherest,then,”hesaid.
Youshall.Therestisfarmoreimportant,andrather
resemblesasermon.”
Francisappropriatelysatdownagain.
Well,it’sthis,”saidMichael.I’mtwenty-five,and
itistimethatIbegantryingtobewhatperhapsImay
beabletobe,insteadofnottryingverymuch–because
it’shopeless–tobewhatIcan’tbe.I’mgoingtostudy
music.IbelievethatIcouldperhapsdosomething
there,andinanycaseIloveitmorethananythingelse.
Andifyouloveathing,youhavecertainlyabetter
chanceofsucceedinginitthaninsomethingthatyou
don’tloveatall.Iwasstuckintothearmyfornoreason
exceptthatsoldieringisamongthefewemployments
whichitisconsideredproperforfellows
inmyposition–goodLord!howawfulitsounds!–proper
formetoadopt.Theotherthingsthatwereopenwere
thatIshouldbeasailororamemberofParliament.
Butthesoldierwaswhatfatherchose.Ilookedround
thepicturegalleryathometheotherday;thereare
twelveLordAshbridgesinuniform.So,asIshall
beLordAshbridgewhenfatherdies,Iwasstuckinto
uniformtoo,tobetheill-starredthirteenth.Butwhat
hasitallcometo?Ifyouthinkofit,whendidthe
majorityofthemweartheirsmartuniforms?Chiefly