登陆注册
15449900000063

第63章 XVIII(2)

"We say, 'Let them talk,'" persisted Rickie, "but I never did like letting people talk. We are right and they are wrong, but Iwish the thing could have been done more quietly. The headmaster does get so excited. He has given a gang of foolish people their opportunity. I don't like being branded as the day-boy's foe, when I think how much I would have given to be a day-boy myself.

My father found me a nuisance, and put me through the mill, and Ican never forget it particularly the evenings.""There's very little bullying here," said Agnes.

"There was very little bullying at my school. There was simply the atmosphere of unkindness, which no discipline can dispel. It's not what people do to you, but what they mean, that hurts.""I don't understand."

"Physical pain doesn't hurt--at least not what I call hurt--if a man hits you by accident or play. But just a little tap, when you know it comes from hatred, is too terrible. Boys do hate each other: I remember it, and see it again. They can make strong isolated friendships, but of general good-fellowship they haven't a notion.""All I know is there's very little bullying here.""You see, the notion of good-fellowship develops late: you can just see its beginning here among the prefects: up at Cambridge it flourishes amazingly. That's why I pity people who don't go up to Cambridge: not because a University is smart, but because those are the magic years, and--with luck--you see up there what you couldn't see before and mayn't ever see again.

"Aren't these the magic years?" the lady demanded.

He laughed and hit at her. "I'm getting somewhat involved. But hear me, O Agnes, for I am practical. I approve of our public schools. Long may they, flourish. But I do not approve of the boarding-house system. It isn't an inevitable adjunct--""Good gracious me!" she shrieked. "Have you gone mad?""Silence, madam. Don't betray me to Herbert, or I'll give us the sack. But seriously, what is the good of, throwing boys so much together? Isn't it building their lives on a wrong basis? They don't understand each other. I wish they did, but they don't.

They don't realize that human beings are simply marvellous.

When they do, the whole of life changes, and you get the true thing. But don't pretend you've got it before you have.

Patriotism and esprit de corps are all very well, but masters a little forget that they must grow from sentiment. They cannot create one. Cannot-cannot--cannot. I never cared a straw for England until I cared for Englishmen, and boys can't love the school when they hate each other. Ladies and gentlemen, I will now conclude my address. And most of it is copied out of Mr. Ansell."

The truth is, he was suddenly ashamed. He had been carried away on the flood of his old emotions. Cambridge and all that it meant had stood before him passionately clear, and beside it stood his mother and the sweet family life which nurses up a boy until he can salute his equals. He was ashamed, for he remembered his new resolution--to work without criticizing, to throw himself vigorously into the machine, not to mind if he was pinched now and then by the elaborate wheels.

"Mr. Ansell!" cried his wife, laughing somewhat shrilly. "Aha!

Now I understand. It's just the kind of thing poor Mr. Ansell would say. Well, I'm brutal. I believe it does Varden good to have his ears pulled now and then, and I don't care whether they pull them in play or not. Boys ought to rough it, or they never grow up into men, and your mother would have agreed with me. Oh yes; and you're all wrong about patriotism. It can, can, create a sentiment."She was unusually precise, and had followed his thoughts with an attention that was also unusual. He wondered whether she was not right, and regretted that she proceeded to say, "My dear boy, you mustn't talk these heresies inside Dunwood House! You sound just like one of that reactionary Jackson set, who want to fling the school back a hundred years and have nothing but day-boys all dressed anyhow.""The Jackson set have their points."

"You'd better join it."

"The Dunwood House set has its points." For Rickie suffered from the Primal Curse, which is not--as the Authorized Version suggests--the knowledge of good and evil, but the knowledge of good-and-evil.

"Then stick to the Dunwood House set."

"I do, and shall." Again he was ashamed. Why would he see the other side of things? He rebuked his soul, not unsuccessfully, and then they returned to the subject of Varden.

"I'm certain he suffers," said he, for she would do nothing but laugh. "Each boy who passes pulls his ears--very funny, no doubt;but every day they stick out more and get redder, and this afternoon, when he didn't know he was being watched, he was holding his head and moaning. I hate the look about his eyes.""I hate the whole boy. Nasty weedy thing."

"Well, I'm a nasty weedy thing, if it comes to that.""No, you aren't," she cried, kissing him. But he led her back to the subject. Could nothing be suggested? He drew up some new rules--alterations in the times of going to bed, and so on--the effect of which would be to provide fewer opportunities for the pulling of Varden's ears. The rules were submitted to Herbert, who sympathized with weakliness more than did his sister, and gave them his careful consideration. But unfortunately they collided with other rules, and on a closer examination he found that they also ran contrary to the fundamentals on which the government of Dunwood House was based. So nothing was done. Agnes was rather pleased, and took to teasing her husband about Varden.

At last he asked her to stop. He felt uneasy about the boy--almost superstitious. His first morning's work had brought sixty pounds a year to their hotel.

同类推荐
热门推荐
  • 福妻驾到

    福妻驾到

    现代饭店彪悍老板娘魂穿古代。不分是非的极品婆婆?三年未归生死不明的丈夫?心狠手辣的阴毒亲戚?贪婪而好色的地主老财?吃上顿没下顿的贫困宭境?不怕不怕,神仙相助,一技在手,天下我有!且看现代张悦娘,如何身带福气玩转古代,开面馆、收小弟、左纳财富,右傍美男,共绘幸福生活大好蓝图!!!!快本新书《天媒地聘》已经上架开始销售,只要3.99元即可将整本书抱回家,你还等什么哪,赶紧点击下面的直通车,享受乐乐精心为您准备的美食盛宴吧!)
  • 多情剑,无情刀

    多情剑,无情刀

    多情剑司马无情,无情刀欧阳无敌的一些江湖恩怨情仇.......
  • 超异界之旅

    超异界之旅

    阳炎如你们所见一个普通人“但是呢,人吧,偶尔还是会有倒霉的时候的,不过吧人总会有转运的时候的。”“比如..........”"比如..........."“你不就是想说我倒霉吗,在家睡觉都穿越,敢不敢给点福利!”“叮,有新消息,请注意查收。”“什么任务?”“摧毁恶魔入侵的阴谋,奖励...................”"......................................你赢了。"
  • 中华人民共和国档案法

    中华人民共和国档案法

    为加强法制宣传,迅速普及法律知识,服务于我国民主法制建设,多年来,中国民主法制出版社根据全国人大常委会每年定期审议通过、修订的法律,全品种、大规模的出版了全国人民代表大会常务委员会公报版的系列法律单行本。该套法律单行本经过最高立法机关即全国人民代表大会常务委员会的权威审定,法条内容准确无误,文本格式规范合理,多年来受到了社会各界广泛关注与好评。
  • TF之王俊凯说爱我

    TF之王俊凯说爱我

    偶然的相遇,使彼此有了交集,可,命运之神又却把两人分开。时间,似乎真的可以改变一个人,人变了,感情是否也会随之改变呢?
  • 剑侠孤问天

    剑侠孤问天

    岩溪村受到巨人的袭击,英雄易晓锋全力出击!在与巨人对敌时切断巨人手指,惊奇的发现巨人手指为金属体!后被神秘人带走!其二弟误以为易晓锋黄权与巨人同归于尽。百年之后群雄掘起,妖魔当道!烟火四起,小侠孤问天斩妖除魔!在这一路上孤问天与同伴无意发现百年之前岩溪村被袭击背后的惊天秘密.....
  • 小师妹的私人家教

    小师妹的私人家教

    大一新生李牧找了一份家教工作,却发现自己的学生竟然是封山两千年的一个上古魔道宗门的小师妹,李牧因此机缘巧合地接触到了奇妙的修真世界!然后,魔宗高手、美女鬼修、千年妖精、正道掌门纷纷前来拜师,因为……初中政治课能提升修真者的心境!电路板居然是高深的阵法!感冒胶囊可以拿来炼制筑基丹!流水线可以加工法宝!复印机能量产符箓!无数大小门派纷纷闻风开山,李牧的生活也一下子变得丰富多彩……【书友群】【44054880】
  • 报社联萌

    报社联萌

    根据使徒子、孙渣等人的作品《少先队长》、《高铁女侠》、《京门九侠》二次创作的超无厘头科幻类复仇者联盟的故事,这可不是抄袭,因为故事里面还真能牵扯到复仇者联盟……对了,本系列故事作者是我shito写,另外还有我的好友画师玄知沢静参与脑洞制作和插画!
  • 极道仙魔

    极道仙魔

    谁说仙魔不可以同体,谁说仙魔不可以同修。我晓天就偏偏要仙魔同修,我要同化仙魔走出一条无人走过的通天大道。
  • 倾世宫妃:惊世一梦

    倾世宫妃:惊世一梦

    五代十国,乱世当代,她只是流离在其中的一名普通女子,身入南唐宫廷,更名换姓,竟被送于后周君主。在华灯初夜,那一抹身影竟勾起了她记忆深处的一个名字。她万万不曾想到,他竟然有朝一日可以成为高高在上的君主,而她则成为了她后妃中的一个,这······究竟是命运的抉择,还是天意的玩弄?她不得而知,她只知道,她始终没有属于他。