CHAPTER XII. THE EMBASSY OF THE PARSON.

 "What's happened?" cried Texas, as soon as he'd managed to get calm enough to talk coherently. "What's happened?"

 

"Sit down," said Mark, laughing in spite of himself. "Sit down and stop your dancing. Everybody in the place is staring at you."

 

Texas sat, and then Mark described to him just what had happened. As might have been expected, he was up in arms in a moment.

 

"Where is that feller? Now, look a 'yere, Mark, leggo me. Thar he goes! Say, if I don't git him by the neck an'——"

 

The excitable youth was quieted after some ten minutes' work or so, and immediate¹ danger was over.

 

"And now," said Mark, "where's the Parson?"

 

"Over in library," responded the other, "a fossilizin'. What do you want with him?"

 

[Pg 92]"You be good," said Mark, "and I'll let you see. Come on."

 

They found the Parson as Texas had said, and they managed to separate him from the books and drag him over to barracks. Then Mark, who by this time had recovered his usual easy good-nature, told of "Mr. Murray's" insult again.

 

"Now, I haven't the least objection," he continued, "of being sent to Coventry. In fact, so long as it means the cadets' leaving me alone, I rather like the idea. But I don't propose to stand a thing like that which just happened for a moment. So there's got to be a fight, and if they won't let me, I'll have to make 'em, that's all."

 

"Um," said the Parson, looking grave. "Um."

 

"Now, as for that fellow Murray," added Mark, "I don't propose to fight him."

 

"Wow!" shouted Texas. "What in thunder do you mean? Now if you don't, by jingo! I'll go and do it myself!"

 

"Take it easy," said Mark, laughing. "You see, Williams is the man the class has selected to beat me; he's the best fighter. Now, if I beat anybody else it won't do me the least bit of good; they'd still say I'm afraid of[Pg 93] Williams. So I'm going to try him first. How's that, Texas?"

 

"Reckon you're right," admitted Powers, rather sheepishly. "I 'spose you'll let me go and arrange it, hey?"

 

"I'd as soon think of sending a dynamite² bomb," laughed Mark. "You'd be in a fight before he'd said three words. That's what I wanted the Parson for. I think he'd be grave and scholarly even if they ate him."

 

"Thank you," said the Parson, gravely. "I should try."

 

"Wow!" growled³ Texas.

 

And thus it happened that the Parson set out for "Camp McPherson," a short while later, his learned head full of prize fighting and the methods and practice of diplomacy⁴.

 

It was rather an unusual thing for a plebe to do—this venturing into "camp;" and the cadets stared at the Parson, wondering what an amount of curiosity he must have to go prospecting⁵ within the lines of the enemy. The Parson, however, did not act as if curiosity had brought him; with a businesslike air and a solemn visage he strode down the company street, and, heedless of the cadets who had gathered at the tent doors to see him,[Pg 94] halted in front of one before which he saw "Billy" Williams standing⁶.

 

"Mr. Williams?" said the Parson.

 

Mr. Williams had been engaged in vigorously drying his face; he paused, and gazed up out of the towel in surprise, and one of his tent mates, Cadet Captain Fischer, ceased unwinding himself from his long red sash and stared.

 

"My name is Stanard," said the Parson—"Peter Stanard."

 

"Pleased to meet you," said Williams, stretching out a long, brawny⁷ arm.

 

There was a twinkle in the yearling's eye as he glanced at the skinny white fingers which Stanard put out in return. And, taking in the stranger's lank⁸, scholarly figure, Williams seized the hand and squeezed with all his might.

 

He expected to hear a howl, but he was disappointed. The Parson drew up his "prehensile⁹ muscles," as he called them. The result was that Cadet Williams turned white, but he said nothing about it, and invited the stranger into his tent.

 

The Parson deposited himself gently in one corner and[Pg 95] drew up his long legs under him. Then he gazed out of the tent and said—"ahem!"

 

"Warm day," said Williams, by way of a starter.

 

"It is not that the temperature is excessively altitudinous," responded the Parson, "but the presence of a larger proportion of humidity retards¹⁰ perspiratory¹¹ exudation¹²."

 

"Er—yes," said Williams. "Yes, I think that's it."

 

"I have come—ahem!" continued Stanard, "as a representative of Mr. Mallory."

 

The other bowed.

 

"Mr. Mallory desires to know—if you will pardon my abruptness¹³ in proceeding¹⁴ immediately to the matter in hand—to know if it is not possible for you to fulfill¹⁵ a certain—er—engagement which you had with him."

 

"I see," said Williams, thoughtfully, and he tapped the floor with his foot for a minute or so.

 

"Mr. Mallory, of course, understands," he continued at last, "that I have no grudge¹⁶ against him at all."

 

"Certainly," said the Parson.

 

"In fact, I rather admire Mr. Mallory, on the whole, though some of his actions have been, I think, imprudent. In this matter I am simply the deputy of the class."

 

"Exactly," said the Parson, bowing profusely¹⁷.

 

[Pg 96]"Therefore, I fight when the class says so, and when they say no, what reason have I for fighting? Now, the class thinks that Mr. Mallory has had chance enough, and——"

 

"But they don't know the circumstances!" protested Stanard, with more suddenness than was usual with him.

 

"They do not," responded the other. "But they'd like to."

 

"I do not know them myself," said the Parson. "But I have faith enough in Mr. Mallory to take his word that it was unavoidable."

 

"You must have a good deal," added Williams, his handsome face looking grave, "a good deal to risk being sent to Coventry."

 

"I am willing. Examples of yet higher devotion to a fides amicus, so to speak, are by no means extraordinary. Take the popular instance of Damon and Pythias, or, if you look for one yet more conspicuous¹⁸, I would mention Prylocates and Tyndarus, in the well-known play of "The Captive," by Plautus, with which you are doubtless familiar."

 

And the Parson closed his learned discourse¹⁹ with his favorite occupation of wiping his brow.

 

[Pg 97]"The risk is your own," responded the yearling, calmly. "You must not mind if the class resents your view of the case."

 

There was a few moments' silence after that, during which the Parson racked his head to think what to say next.

 

"You refuse, then, to fight Mr. Mallory?" he inquired at last.

 

"Absolutely!" responded the other. "Absolutely, until the class so directs."

 

Then the Parson drew a long breath, and prepared for the culminating stroke.

 

"What I say next, Mr. Williams," said he, "you will understand is said with all possible politeness and good feeling, but it must be said. Mr. Mallory has been insulted by some cadets as a coward. He must free himself from the suspicion. Mr. Williams, if a plebe should strike an older cadet, would that make a fight necessary?"

 

"Most certainly," said Williams, flushing.

 

"Well, now, suppose he simply threatened to do so," continued Stanard. "Would that be cause enough?"

 

"It might."

 

"Well, then, Mr. Williams, Mr. Mallory desires me[Pg 98] with all politeness to beg permission to threaten to strike you."

 

"I see," said the other, smiling at the solemn air with which the lank stranger made this extraordinary request. "I see. I have no objection to his so doing."

 

"Thank you," said Stanard. "A fight is now necessary, I believe?"

 

"Er—yes," said Williams. "I believe it is." The fact of the matter was that he saw that Mark was in a position to force a fight if he chose, and the yearling was by no means reluctant, anyhow.

 

"I thank you for your courtesy," he continued, bowing Stanard out of the tent. "Tell Mr. Mallory that I shall send my second to see him this evening. Good-day."

 

And Stanard bowed and strode away with joy in his very stride.

 

"We have met the enemy," was his report to Mark. "We have met the enemy, and there's going to be a fight!"

1 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

2 dynamite   

n./vt.(用)炸药(爆破)

参考例句：

• The workmen detonated the dynamite.工人们把炸药引爆了。
• The philosopher was still political dynamite.那位哲学家仍旧是政治上的爆炸性人物。

3 growled   

v.（动物）发狺狺声， （雷）作隆隆声( growl的过去式和过去分词 )；低声咆哮着说

参考例句：

• \"They ought to be birched, \" growled the old man. 老人咆哮道：“他们应受到鞭打。” 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He growled out an answer. 他低声威胁着回答。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 diplomacy   

n.外交；外交手腕，交际手腕

参考例句：

• The talks have now gone into a stage of quiet diplomacy.会谈现在已经进入了“温和外交”阶段。
• This was done through the skill in diplomacy. 这是通过外交手腕才做到的。

5 prospecting   

n.探矿

参考例句：

• The prospecting team ploughed their way through the snow. 探险队排雪前进。
• The prospecting team has traversed the length and breadth of the land. 勘探队踏遍了祖国的山山水水。

6 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

7 brawny   

adj.强壮的

参考例句：

• The blacksmith has a brawny arm.铁匠有强壮的胳膊。
• That same afternoon the marshal appeared with two brawny assistants.当天下午，警长带着两名身强力壮的助手来了。

8 lank   

adj.瘦削的；稀疏的

参考例句：

• He rose to lank height and grasped Billy McMahan's hand.他瘦削的身躯站了起来，紧紧地握住比利·麦默恩的手。
• The old man has lank hair.那位老人头发稀疏

9 prehensile   

adj.（足等）适于抓握的

参考例句：

• Poets are those strangely prehensile men.诗人是那些具有深刻洞察力的人们。
• A monkey has a prehensile tail.猴子有能盘卷住东西的尾巴。

10 retards   

使减速( retard的第三人称单数 )； 妨碍； 阻止； 推迟

参考例句：

• Cold weather retards the growth of the crops. 寒冷的天气妨碍作物的生长。
• Lack of science and education retards social progress. 缺乏科学和教育会妨碍社会进步。

11 perspiratory   

排汗的，引起排汗的

参考例句：

12 exudation   

n.渗出，渗出物，分泌；溢泌

参考例句：

• It'showed no signs of exudation or other failure to contain liquid loadings. 未出现渗液或其它的不能保持住液体的迹象。 来自辞典例句
• Conclusion US is of great value in diagnosing umbilical exudation in infant. 结论超声在诊断婴儿脐部渗液病因中具有重要价值。 来自互联网

13 abruptness   

n. 突然，唐突

参考例句：

• He hid his feelings behind a gruff abruptness. 他把自己的感情隐藏在生硬鲁莽之中。
• Suddenly Vanamee returned to himself with the abruptness of a blow. 伐那米猛地清醒过来，象挨到了当头一拳似的。

14 proceeding   

n.行动，进行，(pl.)会议录，学报

参考例句：

• This train is now proceeding from Paris to London.这次列车从巴黎开往伦敦。
• The work is proceeding briskly.工作很有生气地进展着。

15 fulfill   

vt.履行，实现，完成；满足，使满意

参考例句：

• If you make a promise you should fulfill it.如果你许诺了，你就要履行你的诺言。
• This company should be able to fulfill our requirements.这家公司应该能够满足我们的要求。

16 grudge   

n.不满，怨恨，妒嫉；vt.勉强给，不情愿做

参考例句：

• I grudge paying so much for such inferior goods.我不愿花这么多钱买次品。
• I do not grudge him his success.我不嫉妒他的成功。

17 profusely   

ad.abundantly

参考例句：

• We were sweating profusely from the exertion of moving the furniture. 我们搬动家具大费气力，累得大汗淋漓。
• He had been working hard and was perspiring profusely. 他一直在努力干活，身上大汗淋漓的。

18 conspicuous   

adj.明眼的，惹人注目的；炫耀的，摆阔气的

参考例句：

• It is conspicuous that smoking is harmful to health.很明显，抽烟对健康有害。
• Its colouring makes it highly conspicuous.它的色彩使它非常惹人注目。

19 discourse   

n.论文，演说；谈话；话语；vi.讲述，著述

参考例句：

• We'll discourse on the subject tonight.我们今晚要谈论这个问题。
• He fell into discourse with the customers who were drinking at the counter.他和站在柜台旁的酒客谈了起来。