CHAPTER XIVMR. STONE IS CALLED TO ACCOUNT
At home Godfrey gave a highly colored narrative of the outrageousmanner 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 outrage, Godfrey," she said, compressing her thin lips. "Howdid 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 persuadeyour father to have him turned away."
"I wish he might be," said Godfrey. "It would teach him to treat mewith proper respect. Anybody would think that Irish boy was the son ofthe most important man in town."
Both Godfrey and his mother appeared to take it for granted that ateacher should treat his pupils according to their social position.This is certainly very far from proper, as all my youthful readerswill, I hope, agree.
"I don't want to go back to school this afternoon, mother," saidGodfrey.
"I don't wonder," said his mother. "I will tell you what I will do. Iwill send a letter to Mr. Stone by you, asking him to call here thisevening. I will then take occasion to express my opinion of hisconduct."
"That's good, mother," said Godfrey, joyfully.
He knew that his mother had a sharp tongue, and he longed to hear hismother "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 goto-morrow. I will go upstairs and write it at once."
The note was quickly written, and, putting it carefully in his insidepocket, Godfrey went to school. As he entered the schoolroom hestepped up to the desk and handed the note to Mr. Stone.
"Here is a note from my mother," he said, superciliously.
"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 toyour mother that I will call this evening."
He did not appear in the least disturbed by the contents of the notehe had received from the richest and--in her own eyes--the mostimportant lady in the village. In fact, he had a large share ofself-respect and independence, and was not likely to submit tobrowbeating from anyone. He tried to be just in his treatment of thescholars under his charge, and if he ever failed, it was frommisunderstanding or ignorance, not from design. In the presentinstance he felt that he had done right, and resolved to maintain thejustice of his conduct.
Nothing of importance occurred in the afternoon. Godfrey was veryquiet and orderly. He felt that he could afford to wait. Withmalicious joy, he looked forward to the scolding Mr. Stone was to getfrom his mother.
"He won't dare to talk to her," he said to himself. "I hope she'llmake him apologize to me. He ought to do it before the school."
Evidently Godfrey had a very inadequate 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 BenTravers, 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 fathercould get him kicked out of school."
"He's rather spunky, the master is," said Ben, who, toady as he was,understood the character of Mr. Stone considerably better than Godfreydid.
"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 tofacts, but according to his wishes.
"I thought so," said Mrs. Preston, with a look of satisfaction. "Hewill find that he has made a mistake in treating you so outrageously."
"Give it to him right and left, mother," said Godfrey, with more forcethan elegance.
"You might express yourself more properly, my son," said Mrs. Preston."I shall endeavor to impress upon his mind the impropriety of hisconduct."
At half-past seven, Mr. Stone rang the bell at Mrs. Preston's door,and was ushered in without delay.
"Good-evening, Mrs. Preston," he said, bowing. "Your son brought me anote this afternoon, requesting me to call. I have complied with yourrequest."
"Be seated, Mr. Stone," said the lady frigidly, not offering her hand.
"Thank you," said the teacher, with equal ceremony, and did asinvited.
"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 sonthis 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 apparentlydesire to find fault with the manner in which I have exercised thatauthority. It is improper that the discussion upon this point shouldtake place before him."
"May I stay in the room, mother?" asked Godfrey, who was alarmed lesthe should miss the spectacle of Mr. Stone's humiliation.
"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 reasonsalready given."
"This is very singular, sir. However, I will humor your whims.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 youthat I first reprimanded your son for brutal treatment of a youngerschoolmate, and then forcibly carried him back to his seat, when heendeavored to leave the schoolroom without my permission."
It was Mrs. Preston's turn to be surprised. She had expected tooverawe the teacher, and instead of that found him firmly andindependently defending his course.
"Mr. Stone," she said, "my son tells me that you praised an Irish boyin your school for a violent and brutal assault which he made uponhim."
"I did not praise him for that. I praised him for promptly interferingto prevent Godfrey from abusing a boy smaller and younger thanhimself."
"Godfrey had good cause for punishing the boy you refer to. He actedin self-defense."
"He has doubtless misrepresented the affair to you, madam, as he didto me."
"You take this Andrew Burke's word against his?"
"I form my judgment upon the testimony of an eyewitness, and from whatI 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 holdhim entirely equal in respectability, and in some important points hissuperior."
"Really, sir, your language is most extraordinary."
At this moment there was an interruption. Godfrey had been listeningat the keyhole, but finding that difficult, had opened the doorslightly, but in his interest managed to stumble against it. The doorflew open, and he fell forward upon his knees on the carpet of thesitting-room.