It is hard not to laugh when a very little fellow cheeks a very big
one. Even Walter, though he admired as well as loved his father, hung his
head, and his shoulders shook with suppressed risibility. Colonel
Clifford detected him in this posture, and in his wrath gave his chair a
whack with his staff that brought Master Walter to the position of a
private soldier when the drill-sergeant cries "ATTENTION!"
"Did you hear that, sir?" said he.
"I did," said Walter: "cheeky little beggar. But you know, father, you
were rather hard upon him before his sweetheart, and a little pot is
soon hot."
"There was nothing to be hot about," said the Colonel, naively; "but that
is neither here nor there. You are ten times worse than he is. He is only
a prating, pedantic puppy, but you are a muff, sir, a most unmitigated
muff, to stand there mum-chance and let such an article as that carry off
the prize."
"Oh, father," said Walter, "why will you not see that the prize is a
living woman, a woman with a will of her own, and not a French eagle, or
the figure-head of a ship? Now do listen to reason.
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