Without the heart to speak, he helped his friend to collect his luggage, and when they were fairly started in the cab he even smiled feebly in reply to the boy's sallies.
"Tom, you rascal, didn't I tell you you weren't to knock yourself up, eh?
Why can't you do what you're told?
Why, I declare you're as thin as a hurdle, and as black under the eyes as if you had been fighting with a collier.

You ought to be ashamed of yourself! Look at me; do all I can I can't get up an interesting pallor like you, and I've fretted enough over those conic sections (comic sections Jim always calls them).

Never mind! Wait till I get you down to the sea." And so he rattled on, while Tom leaned back in his seat and winced at every word.
When they reached Mr Newcome's of course there was a scene of eager welcome on one side and boisterous glee on the other.

Tom, as he looked on, sighed, as well he might, and wished he could have been spared the torture of this day.
Charlie tore himself away from his mother, to drag his friend into the house.
"Look at this object!" he cried; "did you ever see such a caution to students?
If we do nothing else in Kent we shall scare the crows, eh, Tom ?" "Charlie!" exclaimed his mother; "you have come home quite rude! I hope you'll excuse him, Mr Drift." Mr Drift said nothing, and looked and felt extremely miserable.
"He looks really ill, poor fellow!" said Mrs Newcome to her husband.
"I wonder they allow the students to overwork themselves in that way." And then they sat down to dinner--a meal as distasteful to Tom as it was joyful to Charlie and his parents..