d made reference to young birds leaving the nest, while her
husband, puffed out like a frog, and redder than the wattles of a
turkey-cock, exhausted himself in well-chosen expressions. Paul
increased the use of these by fixing a day for his departure. The female
Beecot retired to bed with the assistance of a maid, burnt feathers and
sal volatile, and the male, as a last and clinching argument,
figuratively buttoned up his pockets.

"Not one shilling will you get from me," said Beecot senior, with the
graceful addition of vigorous adjectives.

"I don't ask for money," said Paul, keeping his temper, for after all
the turkey-cock was his father. "I have saved fifty pounds. Not out of
my pocket-money," he added hastily, seeing further objections on the
way. "I earned it by writing short stories."

"The confounded mercantile instinct," snorted paterfamilias, only he
used stronger words. "Your mother's uncle was in trade. Thank Heaven
none of my people ever used hands or brains. The Beecots lived like
gentlemen."

"I should say like cabbages from your description, father."

"No insolence, sir. How dare you disgrace your family? Writing tales
indeed! Rubbish I expect" (here several adjectives). "And you took money
I'll be bound, eh! eh!"

"I have just informed you that I took all I could get," said Beecot
junior, quietly. "I'll live in Town on my savings. When I make a name
and a fortune I'll return."

"Never! never!" gobbled the turkey-cock. "If you descend to the gutter
you can wallow there. I'll cut you out of my will."

"Very good, sir, that's settled. Let us change the subject."

But the old gentleman was too high-spirited to leave well alone. He
demanded to know if Paul knew to whom he was talking, inquired if he had
read the Bible touching the duties of children to their parents,
instanced the fact that Paul's dear mother would probably pine away and
die, and ended with a pathetic reference to losing the prop of his old
age. Paul listened respectfully and held to his own opinion. In defence
of the same he replied in detail,--

"I am aware that I talk to my father, sir," said he, with spirit; "you
never allow me to forget that fact. If another man spoke to me as you do
I should probably break his head. I _have_ read the Bible, and find
therein that parents owe a duty to their children, which certainly does
not include being abused like a pick-pocket. My mother will not pine
away if you will leave her alone fo