1/28 CHAPTER TWENTY. "Brookes has been complaining to me that he was busy yesterday dressing those sheep, when he found Leather, as they call him, my assigned servant, lazy, careless, and insolent. He was speaking to him rather sharply, when you suddenly appeared from behind the fence, flew in a passion, abused him, defended the other man, talked in a way that would make Leather disobedient in the future, and finally ordered the man to go away and leave Brookes to do all the work himself. Now then, my boy, is this true ?" "Well, about half of it, father." "I'm sorry to hear it, Nic, though I'm glad you are so frank," said the doctor, rather sternly. |