CHAPTER XIV — MR. STONE IS CALLED TO ACCOUNT

 At home Godfrey gave a highly colored narrative¹ of the outrageous³ manner in which he had been abused, for so he chose to represent it. He gave this account to his mother, for his father was not at home. Indeed, he was absent for a day or two in a distant city.

 

Mrs. Preston was indignant.

 

"It is an outrage², Godfrey," she said, compressing her thin lips. "How did Mr. Stone dare to treat you in this way?"

 

"I was surprised, myself," said Godfrey.

 

"Had he no more respect for your father's prominent position?"

 

"It looks as if he didn't."

 

"He is evidently unfit to keep the school. I shall try to persuade your father to have him turned away."

 

"I wish he might be," said Godfrey. "It would teach him to treat me with proper respect. Anybody would think that Irish boy was the son of the most important man in town."

 

Both Godfrey and his mother appeared to take it for granted that a teacher should treat his pupils according to their social position. This is certainly very far from proper, as all my youthful readers will, I hope, agree.

 

"I don't want to go back to school this afternoon, mother," said Godfrey.

 

"I don't wonder," said his mother. "I will tell you what I will do. I will send a letter to Mr. Stone by you, asking him to call here this evening. I will then take occasion to express my opinion of his conduct."

 

"That's good, mother," said Godfrey, joyfully⁴.

 

He knew that his mother had a sharp tongue, and he longed to hear his mother "give it" to the teacher whom he hated.

 

"Then, you think I had better go to school this afternoon?"

 

"Yes, with the note. If Mr. Stone does not apologize, you need not go to-morrow. I will go upstairs and write it at once."

 

The note was quickly written, and, putting it carefully in his inside pocket, Godfrey went to school. As he entered the schoolroom he stepped up to the desk and handed the note to Mr. Stone.

 

"Here is a note from my mother," he said, superciliously⁵.

 

"Very well," said the teacher, taking it gravely.

 

As it was not quite time to summon the pupils, he opened it at once.

 

This was what he read:

 

    "MR. STONE: Sir—My son Godfrey informs me that you have

    treated him in a very unjust manner, for which I find it

    impossible to account. I shall be glad if you can find time

    to call at my house this evening, in order that I may hear

    from your lips an explanation of the occurrence. Yours, in

    haste,

                                       "Lucinda Preston."

"Preston," said Mr. Stone, after reading this note, "you may say to your mother that I will call this evening."

 

He did not appear in the least disturbed by the contents of the note he had received from the richest and—in her own eyes—the most important lady in the village. In fact, he had a large share of self-respect and independence, and was not likely to submit to browbeating⁶ from anyone. He tried to be just in his treatment of the scholars under his charge, and if he ever failed, it was from misunderstanding or ignorance, not from design. In the present instance he felt that he had done right, and resolved to maintain the justice of his conduct.

 

Nothing of importance occurred in the afternoon. Godfrey was very quiet and orderly. He felt that he could afford to wait. With malicious⁷ joy, he looked forward to the scolding Mr. Stone was to get from his mother.

 

"He won't dare to talk to her," he said to himself. "I hope she'll make him apologize to me. He ought to do it before the school."

 

Evidently Godfrey had a very inadequate⁸ idea of the teacher's pluck, if he thought such a thing possible.

 

School was dismissed, and Godfrey went home. He dropped a hint to Ben Travers, that his mother was going "to haul Mr. Stone over the coals," as he expressed it.

 

"Are you going to be there?" asked Ben, when Godfrey had finished.

 

"Yes," said Godfrey. "It'll be my turn then."

 

"Perhaps Mr. Stone will have something to say," said Ben, doubtfully.

 

"He won't dare to," said Godfrey, confidently. "He knows my father could get him kicked out of school."

 

"He's rather spunky, the master is," said Ben, who, toady⁹ as he was, understood the character of Mr. Stone considerably¹⁰ better than Godfrey did.

 

"I'll tell you all about it to-morrow morning," said Godfrey.

 

"All right."

 

"I expect he'll apologize to me for what he did."

 

"Maybe he will," answered Ben, but he thought it highly improbable.

 

"Did you give my note to Mr. Stone?" asked his mother.

 

"Yes."

 

"What did he say?"

 

"He said he'd come around."

 

"How did he appear?"

 

"He looked a little nervous," said Godfrey, speaking not according to facts, but according to his wishes.

 

"I thought so," said Mrs. Preston, with a look of satisfaction. "He will find that he has made a mistake in treating you so outrageously¹¹."

 

"Give it to him right and left, mother," said Godfrey, with more force than elegance¹².

 

"You might express yourself more properly, my son," said Mrs. Preston. "I shall endeavor to impress upon his mind the impropriety of his conduct."

 

At half-past seven, Mr. Stone rang the bell at Mrs. Preston's door, and was ushered¹³ in without delay.

 

"Good-evening, Mrs. Preston," he said, bowing. "Your son brought me a note this afternoon, requesting me to call. I have complied with your request."

 

"Be seated, Mr. Stone," said the lady frigidly¹⁴, not offering her hand.

 

"Thank you," said the teacher, with equal ceremony, and did as invited.

 

"I suppose you can guess the object of my request," said Mrs. Preston.

 

"I think you stated it in your note."

 

"I desire an explanation of the manner in which you treated my son this forenoon, Mr. Stone."

 

"Pardon me, madam; your son is in the room."

 

"Well, sir?"

 

"I decline discussing the matter before him."

 

"I cannot understand why you should object to his presence."

 

"I am his teacher, and he is subject to my authority. You apparently¹⁵ desire to find fault with the manner in which I have exercised that authority. It is improper¹⁶ that the discussion upon this point should take place before him."

 

"May I stay in the room, mother?" asked Godfrey, who was alarmed lest he should miss the spectacle of Mr. Stone's humiliation¹⁷.

 

"I really don't see why not," returned his mother.

 

"Madam," said Mr. Stone, rising, "I will bid you good-evening."

 

"What, sir; before we have spoken on the subject?"

 

"I distinctly decline to speak before your son, for the reasons already given."

 

"This is very singular, sir. However, I will humor your whims¹⁸. Godfrey, you may leave the room."

 

"Can't I stay?"

 

"I am compelled to send you out."

 

Godfrey went out, though with a very ill grace.

 

"Now, madam," said the teacher, "I have no objection to telling you that I first reprimanded your son for brutal¹⁹ treatment of a younger schoolmate, and then forcibly carried him back to his seat, when he endeavored to leave the schoolroom without my permission."

 

It was Mrs. Preston's turn to be surprised. She had expected to overawe the teacher, and instead of that found him firmly and independently defending his course.

 

"Mr. Stone," she said, "my son tells me that you praised an Irish boy in your school for a violent and brutal assault which he made upon him."

 

"I did not praise him for that. I praised him for promptly²⁰ interfering²¹ to prevent Godfrey from abusing a boy smaller and younger than himself."

 

"Godfrey had good cause for punishing the boy you refer to. He acted in self-defense."

 

"He has doubtless misrepresented the affair to you, madam, as he did to me."

 

"You take this Andrew Burke's word against his?"

 

"I form my judgment²² upon the testimony²³ of an eyewitness²⁴, and from what I know of your son's character."

 

"From your own statement, this low Irish boy——"

 

"To whom do you refer, madam?"

 

"To the Irish boy."

 

"I have yet to learn that he is low."

 

"Do you mean to compare him with my son?"

 

"In wealth, no. Otherwise, you mustn't blame me for saying that I hold him entirely²⁵ equal in respectability, and in some important points his superior."

 

"Really, sir, your language is most extraordinary."

 

At this moment there was an interruption. Godfrey had been listening at the keyhole, but finding that difficult, had opened the door slightly, but in his interest managed to stumble against it. The door flew open, and he fell forward upon his knees on the carpet of the sitting-room²⁶.

1 narrative   

n.叙述，故事；adj.叙事的，故事体的

参考例句：

• He was a writer of great narrative power.他是一位颇有记述能力的作家。
• Neither author was very strong on narrative.两个作者都不是很善于讲故事。

2 outrage   

n.暴行，侮辱，愤怒；vt.凌辱，激怒

参考例句：

• When he heard the news he reacted with a sense of outrage.他得悉此事时义愤填膺。
• We should never forget the outrage committed by the Japanese invaders.我们永远都不应该忘记日本侵略者犯下的暴行。

3 outrageous   

adj.无理的，令人不能容忍的

参考例句：

• Her outrageous behaviour at the party offended everyone.她在聚会上的无礼行为触怒了每一个人。
• Charges for local telephone calls are particularly outrageous.本地电话资费贵得出奇。

4 joyfully   

adv. 喜悦地, 高兴地

参考例句：

• She tripped along joyfully as if treading on air. 她高兴地走着，脚底下轻飘飘的。
• During these first weeks she slaved joyfully. 在最初的几周里，她干得很高兴。

5 superciliously   

adv.高傲地；傲慢地

参考例句：

• Madame Defarge looked superciliously at the client, and nodded in confirmation. 德伐日太太轻蔑地望了望客人，点头同意。 来自英汉文学 - 双城记

6 browbeating   

v.（以言辞或表情）威逼，恫吓( browbeat的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Mr Zha urges America to refrain from browbeating China into accepting distant targets for future reductions. 查先生敦促美国不要威胁中国为今后减少排放而去接受这遥远的目标。 来自互联网

7 malicious   

adj.有恶意的，心怀恶意的

参考例句：

• You ought to kick back at such malicious slander. 你应当反击这种恶毒的污蔑。
• Their talk was slightly malicious.他们的谈话有点儿心怀不轨。

8 inadequate   

adj.(for,to)不充足的，不适当的

参考例句：

• The supply is inadequate to meet the demand.供不应求。
• She was inadequate to the demands that were made on her.她还无力满足对她提出的各项要求。

9 toady   

v.奉承；n.谄媚者，马屁精

参考例句：

• He flung it in my teeth that I was a toady.他责备我是个马屁精。
• Arrogance has no defense against a toady.傲慢防不了谄媚者。

10 considerably   

adv.极大地；相当大地；在很大程度上

参考例句：

• The economic situation has changed considerably.经济形势已发生了相当大的变化。
• The gap has narrowed considerably.分歧大大缩小了。

11 outrageously   

凶残地； 肆无忌惮地； 令人不能容忍地； 不寻常地

参考例句：

• Leila kept smiling her outrageously cute smile. 莱拉脸上始终挂着非常可爱的笑容。
• He flirts outrageously. 他肆无忌惮地调情。

12 elegance   

n.优雅；优美，雅致；精致，巧妙

参考例句：

• The furnishings in the room imparted an air of elegance.这个房间的家具带给这房间一种优雅的气氛。
• John has been known for his sartorial elegance.约翰因为衣着讲究而出名。

13 ushered   

v.引，领，陪同( usher的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The secretary ushered me into his office. 秘书把我领进他的办公室。
• A round of parties ushered in the New Year. 一系列的晚会迎来了新年。 来自《简明英汉词典》

14 frigidly   

adv.寒冷地；冷漠地；冷淡地；呆板地

参考例句：

15 apparently   

adv.显然地；表面上，似乎

参考例句：

• An apparently blind alley leads suddenly into an open space.山穷水尽，豁然开朗。
• He was apparently much surprised at the news.他对那个消息显然感到十分惊异。

16 improper   

adj.不适当的，不合适的，不正确的，不合礼仪的

参考例句：

• Short trousers are improper at a dance.舞会上穿短裤不成体统。
• Laughing and joking are improper at a funeral.葬礼时大笑和开玩笑是不合适的。

17 humiliation   

n.羞辱

参考例句：

• He suffered the humiliation of being forced to ask for his cards.他蒙受了被迫要求辞职的羞辱。
• He will wish to revenge his humiliation in last Season's Final.他会为在上个季度的决赛中所受的耻辱而报复的。

18 WHIMS   

虚妄，禅病

参考例句：

• The mate observed regretfully that he could not account for that young fellow's whims. 那位伙伴很遗憾地说他不能说出那年轻人产生怪念头的原因。
• The rest she had for food and her own whims. 剩下的钱她用来吃饭和买一些自己喜欢的东西。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹

19 brutal   

adj.残忍的，野蛮的，不讲理的

参考例句：

• She has to face the brutal reality.她不得不去面对冷酷的现实。
• They're brutal people behind their civilised veneer.他们表面上温文有礼，骨子里却是野蛮残忍。

20 promptly   

adv.及时地，敏捷地

参考例句：

• He paid the money back promptly.他立即还了钱。
• She promptly seized the opportunity his absence gave her.她立即抓住了因他不在场给她创造的机会。

21 interfering   

adj. 妨碍的 动词interfere的现在分词

参考例句：

• He's an interfering old busybody! 他老爱管闲事！
• I wish my mother would stop interfering and let me make my own decisions. 我希望我母亲不再干预，让我自己拿主意。

22 judgment   

n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见

参考例句：

• The chairman flatters himself on his judgment of people.主席自认为他审视人比别人高明。
• He's a man of excellent judgment.他眼力过人。

23 testimony   

n.证词；见证，证明

参考例句：

• The testimony given by him is dubious.他所作的证据是可疑的。
• He was called in to bear testimony to what the police officer said.他被传入为警官所说的话作证。

24 eyewitness   

n.目击者，见证人

参考例句：

• The police questioned several eyewitness to the murder.警察询问了谋杀案的几位目击者。
• He was the only eyewitness of the robbery.他是那起抢劫案的唯一目击者。

25 entirely   

ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The fire was entirely caused by their neglect of duty. 那场火灾完全是由于他们失职而引起的。
• His life was entirely given up to the educational work. 他的一生统统献给了教育工作。

26 sitting-room   

n.（BrE）客厅，起居室

参考例句：

• The sitting-room is clean.起居室很清洁。
• Each villa has a separate sitting-room.每栋别墅都有一间独立的起居室。