at home godfrey gave a highly colored narrative of the outrageous 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 outrage, 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, joyfully.
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, 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 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 browbeating 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 malicious 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 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 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, toady as he was, understood the character of mr. stone considerably 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 outrageously."
"give it to him right and left, mother," said godfrey, with more force than elegance.
"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 ushered 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 frigidly, 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 apparently desire to find fault with the manner in which i have exercised that authority. it is improper 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 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 reasons already 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 you that i first reprimanded your son for brutal 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 promptly interfering 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 judgment upon the testimony of an eyewitness, 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 entirely 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-room.
