To the youth these remarks sounded like sarcasm, and he felt too poor
even to retort.
"Oh, boys!" finally said Bart, "it is good exercise for us all;
_persiflage_ is not your 'best holt,' as the wrestlers would say,
and you need practice, while I want to accustom myself to irony and
sarcasm without replying. If by any possibility you can, between
you, get off a good thing at my expense, it would confer a lasting
obligation; but I don't expect it."
"Upon my word--" began Ranney.
"We all speak kindly of our own dead," said Bart, "and should hardly
expect the dead to hear what we said. Mother said you had determined
to leave us in the morning;" to Ranney--"Our brother the Major will be
home in the morning, and would be glad to make your acquaintance, and
show you some attention." And so he escaped.
When Ranney took leave the next morning, he kindly remarked to Bart
that he would at any time find a place in his office, and should have
his best endeavor to advance his studies. It was sincere, and that was
one of the charms of his character. Bart was pleased with it, and it
almost compensated for the unintentional wounds of the night before.
CHAPTER XXI.
A DEPARTURE.
Morris came, and the brothers were together, and the two elder went
around to many of their old acquaintance--many not named here, as not
necessary to the incidents of this story. For some reason Barton did
not accompany them. If anything was said between them about him, no
mention of it was made to him.
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