A moment later the pair issued forth on the King's Road.
'Michael,' said his uncle, 'the reason that I am here is because I cannot endure those nephews of mine.

I find them intolerable.' 'I daresay you do,' assented Michael, 'I never could stand them for a moment.' 'They wouldn't let me speak,' continued the old gentleman bitterly; 'I never was allowed to get a word in edgewise; I was shut up at once with some impertinent remark.

They kept me on short allowance of pencils, when I wished to make notes of the most absorbing interest; the daily newspaper was guarded from me like a young baby from a gorilla.

Now, you know me, Michael.

I live for my calculations; I live for my manifold and ever-changing views of life; pens and paper and the productions of the popular press are to me as important as food and drink; and my life was growing quite intolerable when, in the confusion of that fortunate railway accident at Browndean, I made my escape.