Mark my words, Doctor, that boy'll be a credit to you; he'll make a noise in the world, or I know nothing.

And if his fancy holds seven years hence, and he wants still to turn traveller, let him.

If he's minded to go round the world, I'll back him to go, somehow or other, or I'll eat my head, Ned Thurnall!" The Doctor acquiesced in this hopeful theory, partly to save an argument; for Mark's reverence for his opinion was confined to scientific matters; and he made up to his own self-respect by patronising the Doctor, and, indeed, taking him sometimes pretty sharply to task on practical matters.
"Best fellow alive is Thurnall; but not a man of business, poor fellow.

None of your geniuses are.

Don't know what he'd do without me." So Tom carried Mary about all the morning, and went to Minchampstead in the afternoon, and got three hours' good shooting; but in the evening he vanished; and his father went into Armsworth's to look for him.
"Why do you want to know where he is ?" replied Mark, looking sly.
"However, as you can't stop him now, I'll tell you.