Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER III Mr. Challoner was seated at the very orderly table in his study, on which, neatly corrected, revised, and arranged, were the sheets of his sermon for the next Sunday. In front of him, with his face towards the window, stood Martin. Neither father nor son wore a very pleasant expression: Martin looked like some timid wild animal, at bay in a corner, frightened into a sort of desperation, while his father's thick, bushy eyebrows were contracted into a very heavy frown and his mouth was tightly compressed, as if he were holding back with difficulty some impulse of anger that nearly mastered him. I was ashamed of you, he said; I was ashamed that a son of mine could behave with such abominable rudeness to Lady Sunningdale and me. A few years ago, when such behaviour would have been more excusable, because you were younger, I should have given you a whipping I am sure you would, said Martin. Mr. Challoner's face grew a shade paler. Martin, I wish you to understand once and for all, he said, that I will be treated by you both in public and in private with ordinary respect and courtesy. I have already told you I was sorry I was rude to you, said Martin, speaking very quickly and incisively, with an odd little tremor of angry fright in his voice. You have often told me you were sorry lately, said his father, and almost before the words were out of your mouth I have had occasion to find fault with you for something else. Martin gave a short, mirthless laugh. That is quite true, he said; I can't do right, it appears. Mr. Challoner paused a moment; Martin had never before come to open words with him like this. What do you mean by speaking to me like that? he asked, in a voice scarcely audible. There was no answe...