"Stand there!" I obeyed.
"And now, perhaps, you will have the goodness to explain what you have been about this morning; and why it should have taken you just thirty-seven minutes by the clock to accomplish a journey which a tortoise--yes, sir, a tortoise,--might have done in less than ten ?" I gravely compared my watch with the clock before replying.
"Upon my word, sir," I said, "your tortoise would have the advantage of me." "The advantage of you! What do you mean by the advantage of you, you affected puppy ?" "I had no idea," said I, provokingly, "that you were in unusual haste this morning." "Haste!" shouted my father.

"I never said I was in haste.

I never choose to be in haste.

I hate haste!" "Then why..." "Because you have been wasting your time and mine, sir," interrupted he.
"Because I will not permit you to go idling and vagabondizing about the village." My _sang froid_ was gone directly.
"Idling and vagabondizing!" I repeated angrily.

"I have done nothing of the kind.