I've been feeling pretty rotten about it, I can tell you." "You always were an ass, weren't you ?" said Monck, getting up.
Tommy got up too, giving himself an impatient shake.

He pushed an apologetic hand through Monck's arm.

"I can't expect ever to get even with a swell like you," he said humbly, Monck looked at him.

Something in the boy's devotion seemed to move him, for his eyes were very kindly though his laugh was ironic.

"You'll have an almighty awakening one of these days, my son," he said.