The wrath had clean died out of his puckered face; and in place of it there showed a blank despair, mingled with loathing and unspeakable bitterness of soul.
"Yes, I can," he replied very slowly, and turning away his face leant a hand on the spade beside him.

"Oh, Jemmy, Jemmy!" he muttered.
There was no entreaty in the words, but they pierced Captain Jemmy's heart like two stabs of a knife.

He took a step forward and stretched out a hand as if to lay it on his old friend's shoulder.
The little man jumped aside, faced him again, hissing out one word-- "_You!_" The arm dropped.
"Jack--I'm sorry; but you have drawn the wrong conclusion." The pair looked each other in the face for a moment, and Captain Runacles went on, but more coldly and as if repeating a task-- "Yes, the wrong conclusion.

For my own part, as you once pointed out, I have a girl.

I may add that I propose to train up Sophia; and I haven't the faintest doubt that, in spite of her sex, I can train her to knock your Tristram into a cocked-hat in every department of useful knowledge.