16 The Wine-Dark Sea - Libro della tutto

Patrick O'Brian The Wine-Dark Sea
ther Sam nor Stephen had any notion of entertaining
the young apart from putting volumes
of Eusebius on their chairs so that they might
dominate their food. Their wine-glasses had
been regularly filled; they had as regularly
emptied them; and when towards the end of
the meal the boy, standing in the doorway,
saw fit to make antic gestures behind his master's
back they were unable to restrain themselves.
Stifled laughter-swelled to uncontrollable
giggles – neither could look at the other,
still less at the boy in the doorway; and both
were rather relieved than otherwise when they
were turned out into the quadrangle and told
'to run about and play very quietly, until
Jemmy Ducks comes to fetch you in the gig.'
'I am so sorry, Father,' said Stephen. 'They
have never behaved like this before: I should
have whipped them had it not been Sunday.'
'Not at all, not at all, God love you, sir. It