IN WHICH ERNEST IS EXPELLED FROM THE PARKVILLE LIBERAL INSTITUTE.
"Fellow-students," I continued, when the school-room was still enough
for me to be heard, "I am willing to submit to the rules of the
Institute, and even to the injustice of the principal. For my sake, as
well as for your own, behave like men."
I folded my arms, and was silent again. I felt that it was better to
suffer than to resist, and such an exhibition of rowdyism was not to
my taste. I glanced at Mr. Parasyte, to intimate to him that he could
say what he pleased; and he took the hint.
"Young gentlemen, this is a new experience to me. In twenty years as a
teacher, I have never been thus insulted."
This was an imprudent remark.
"Be fair, then!" shouted Bob Hale; and the cry was repeated by others,
until the scene of disorder promised to be renewed.
I raised my hand, and shook my head, deprecating the conduct of the
boys. Once more they heeded, though it was evidently as a particular
favor to me, rather than because it was in keeping with their ideas of
right and justice.
"I intend to be fair, young gentlemen," continued Mr. Parasyte; "that
is the whole study of my life. I am astonished and mortified at this
unlooked-for demonstration. I was about to make a further statement in
regard to Thornton, when you interrupted me. I told you that I
purposed to give him an opportunity to redeem his character. I intend
to do my duty on this painful occasion, though the walls of the
Parkville Liberal Institute should crumble above my head, and crush me
in the dust."
"Let her crumble!" said a reckless youth, as Mr. Parasyte waxed
eloquent.
"Will you be silent, or will you compel me to resort to that which I
abhor--to physical force?"
Some of the boys glanced at each other with a meaning smile when this
remark was uttered; but I shook my head, to signify my disapprobation
of anything like resistance or tumult.
"Thornton," added Mr. Parasyte, turning to me, "I have fairly and
impartially heard your story, and carefully weighed all your
statements. I have come to the conclusion, deliberately and without
prejudice, that you were the aggressor."
"I was not, sir," I replied, as gently as I could speak, and yet as
firmly.
"It appears that Poodles placed his hand upon your arm merely to
attract your attention; whereupon you struck him a severe blow in the
face, which caused him to reel and fall over backward into the lake,"
said Mr. Parasyte, so pompously that I could not tell whether he
intended to "back out" of his position or not.
"Poodles hit me in the head, and was on the point of repeating the
blow, when I knocked him over in self-defence."
"It does not appear to me that Poodles, who is a remarkably
gentlemanly student, would have struck you for simply refusing to
assist him about his examples. Such a course would not be consistent
with the character of Poodles."
"No, sir, I did not strike him at any time," protested Poodles.
"I find it impossible to change my opinion of the merits of this case;
and for the good of the Parkville Liberal Institute, I must adhere to
the sentence I have already--with regret and sorrow--pronounced upon
you. But--"
There were again strong signs of another outbreak among the pupils,
and I begged them to be silent.
"The conduct of Thornton in this painful emergency merits and receives
my approbation. His love of order and his efforts to preserve proper
decorum in the school-room are worthy of the highest commendation,"
continued Mr. Parasyte; "and I would gladly remit the penalty I have
imposed upon him without any conditions whatever; but I feel that such
a course, after the extraordinary events of this day, would be
subversive of the discipline and good order which have ever
characterized the Parkville Liberal Institute. I shall, however,
impose a merely nominal condition upon Thornton, his compliance with
which shall immediately restore him to the full enjoyment of his
rights and privileges as a member of this academy. I wish to be as
lenient as possible, and, as I observed, the penalty will be merely
nominal.
"As the quarrel occurred when the parties were alone, so also may the
reparation be made in private; for after Thornton's magnanimous
behavior to-day, under these trying circumstances, I do not wish to
humiliate or mortify him. I wish that it were consistent with my ideas
of stern duty to impose no penalty."
Mr. Parasyte had certainly retreated a long way from his original
position. I did not wish to be expelled, and I hailed with
satisfaction his manifestation of leniency; and rather than lose the
advantages of the school, I was willing to submit to the nominal
penalty at which he hinted, supposing it would be a deprivation of
some privilege.
"I have not resisted your authority, sir; and I do not mean to do so
now," I replied, submissively; for, as the popular sentiment of the
students sustained me, I could afford to yield.
"Your conduct since the quarrel is entirely satisfactory; I may say
that it merits my admiration." This was toadying to the boys, whom he
feared. "I have sentenced you to expulsion, the severest penalty known
in the discipline of the Parkville Liberal Institute; but, Thornton, I
propose to remit this penalty altogether on condition that, in
private, and at your own convenience, but within one week, you
apologize to Poodles for your conduct. I could not make the condition
any milder, I think."
Mr. Parasyte smiled as though he had entirely forgiven me; as though
he had, in some mysterious manner, wiped out the stains of falsehood
upon my character. I bowed, but made no reply. I was sentenced to
expulsion; but the penalty was to be remitted on condition that I
would apologize to Poodles.
Apologize to Poodles! For what? For his attack upon me, or for the
lies he had told about me? It was no more possible for me to apologize
for knocking him over when he assailed me than it would have been for
me to leap across Lake Adieno in the widest place. I did not wish to
deprive myself of the advantages of attending the Parkville Liberal
Institute; but if my remaining depended upon my humiliating myself
before Poodles, upon my declaring that what I had done was wrong, when
I believed it was right, I was no longer to be a student in the
academy.
The exercises of the school proceeded as usual for a couple of hours,
and there were no further signs of insubordination among the boys. At
recess I purposely kept away from my more intimate friends, for I did
not wish to tell them what course I intended to pursue, fearful that
it would renew the disturbance.
An hour before the close of the session, the boys were required to
bring in their examination papers in arithmetic. Every student, even
to Poodles, handed in solutions to all the problems, and Mr. Parasyte
and his assistants at once devoted themselves to the marking of them.
In half an hour the principal was ready to report the result.
Half a dozen of the class had all the examples right, and I was one of
the number. Very much to my astonishment, Poodles also was announced
as one of the six; and when his name was mentioned, a score of the
students glanced at me.
I did not understand it. I was quite satisfied that Poodles could not
do the problems himself, and it was certain that he had obtained
assistance from some one, though the declaration on the paper was duly
signed. He had found a friend less scrupulous than I had been. Some
one must have performed the examples for him; and as he had them all
correct, it was evident that one of the six, who alone had presented
perfect papers, must have afforded the assistance. After throwing out
Poodles and myself, there were but four left; and two of these, to my
certain knowledge, had joined in the demonstration in my favor:
indeed, they were my friends beyond the possibility of a doubt.
Between the other two I had no means of forming an opinion.
During the afternoon Mr. Parasyte had been very uneasy and nervous. It
was plain to him that he ruled the boys by their free will, rather
than by his own power; and this was not a pleasant thing for a man
like him to know. Doubtless he felt that he had dropped the reins of
his team, which, though going very well just then, might take it into
its head to run away with him whenever it was convenient. Probably he
felt the necessity of doing something to reestablish his authority,
and to obtain a stronger position than that he now occupied. If, with
the experience I have since acquired, I could have spoken to him, I
should have told him that justice and fairness alone would make him
strong as a disciplinarian.
"Poodles," said Mr. Parasyte, just before the close of the session, "I
see that all your examples were correctly performed, and that you
signed the declaration on the paper."
"Yes, sir," replied Poodles.
"When did you perform them?"
"I did all but two of them last night."
"And when did you do those two?" continued the principal, mildly, but
with the air of a man who expects soon to make a triumphant point.
"Between schools, at noon, while the students were at dinner and at
play."
"Very well. You had them all done but two when you met Thornton to-day
noon?"
"Yes, sir."
"Thornton," added Mr. Parasyte, turning to me, "I have no disposition
to hurry you in the unsettled case of to-day, though the result of
Poodles's examination shows that he had no need of the assistance you
say he asked of you; but perhaps it would be better that you should
state distinctly whether or not you intend to apologize. It is quite
possible that there was a misunderstanding between you and Poodles,
which a mutual explanation might remove."
"I do not think there was any misunderstanding," I replied.
"If you wish to meet Poodles after school, I offer my services as a
friend to assist in the adjustment of the dispute."
"I don't want to meet him," said Poodles.
Mr. Parasyte actually rebuked him for this illiberal sentiment; and
while he was doing so, I added that I had no desire to meet Poodles,
as proposed. I now think I was wrong; but I had a feeling that the
principal intended to browbeat me into an acknowledgment.
"Very well, Thornton; if you refuse to make peace, you must take the
consequences. Do you intend to apologize to Poodles, or not?"
"I do not, sir," I replied, decidedly.
"Then you are expelled from the Parkville Liberal Institute."