by Oliver Optic
CHAPTER VIII.
IN WHICH ERNEST VANQUISHES THE SCHOOLMASTER.
Mr. Parasyte had evidently obtained some information in regard to thegreat rebellion before he entered the school-room; for though helooked extremely troubled, he did not seem to be so much astonished asmight have been expected. He was admitted by order of the judge, andtook off his hat as he walked up the aisle to the platform, wipingaway the perspiration which gathered on his heated brow under thesevere mental struggles his position induced.
"What does all this mean?" he demanded, with a sternness which wecould not help seeing was assumed.
The boys were all orderly and quiet; the school room was as still asduring the regular sessions of the Institute. The sentinels, withtheir bats and clubs, stood immovable at their stations, and thescene produced its full impression upon the mind of the principal. Ashe did not seem to be prepared to receive an answer to his question,none was given; and Mr. Parasyte glanced uneasily around the room,apparently seeking to obtain a better understanding of the scene.
"What does all this _mean_?" demanded he, a second time.
"It means, sir," replied Henry Vallington, "that the boys aredissatisfied, and intend to have things set right."
"Is this a proper way to express their dissatisfaction--to takeadvantage of my absence to get up a riotous assembly?"
"We have been perfectly orderly, sir," added the judge, in respectfultones.
"How came you here, Thornton?" continued the principal, as his gazerested on me.
"We brought him here, sir," promptly interposed Vallington, anxious torelieve me of any responsibility for my escape from my prison-chamber.
"Vallington, I confess my astonishment at seeing you engaged in anaffair of this kind," said Mr. Parasyte, reproachfully; and he fixedhis gaze upon the judge, and again wiped the perspiration from hisforehead. "I have always regarded you as an orderly and well-behavedboy."
"I do not expect to forfeit my reputation as such by what I have done.Mr. Parasyte, the boys are dissatisfied. We are not little children.We have all reached the years of discretion, and we know thedifference between right and wrong, between justice and injustice."
"Do you intend to read me a lecture?" demanded the principal, angrily.
"No, sir; I had no such intention--only to state the facts."
"But you are arraigning me, the principal of the Parkville LiberalInstitute," added Mr. Parasyte, measuring the judge from head to foot.
"You may call it what you please, sir."
"May I ask what you purpose to do?" continued the principal, in asneering tone, not unmingled with timidity.
"Poodles," said the judge, turning to the lank toady, "stand up."
He obeyed; and being now with the majority of the boys, I think he wasmean enough to enjoy the discomfiture of Mr. Parasyte, for there canbe no real respect or true sympathy in the relation of one flunky withanother.
"Are you ready to tell the whole truth?" demanded Vallington.
"I am," replied Poodles.
"Perhaps you will be willing to inform Mr. Parasyte, in the beginning,whether you do so of your own free will and accord, or not."
"I do so of my own free will and accord."
"Did you perform the examples on the examination paper without anyassistance?"
"I did not."
"How many did you do yourself?"
"None of them."
"Who struck the first blow in the affray on the pier with Thornton?"
"I did," answered Poodles, with a silly leer. "Thornton told the factsjust exactly as they were."
"You may sit down."
Mr. Parasyte wiped his brow again.
"Pearl," continued Vallington.
This culprit, unlike his companion in guilt, looked sheepish andcrestfallen, as he slowly rose from his seat. He was not so base andlow-minded as Poodles, and he felt a genuine shame for the meanconduct of which he had been guilty.
"Have you anything to say, Pearl?" asked the judge.
"I lent my paper to Poodles, who copied the solutions from it,"replied Pearl, with his glance fixed upon the floor.
"That's all; you may sit down."
Pearl seated himself; and if a pin had fallen to the floor then, itmight have been heard in the anxious silence that followed. Mr.Parasyte's chest heaved with emotion. He wanted to storm, and scold,and threaten, but seemed to be afraid to do so.
"I have nothing more to say at present, Mr. Parasyte. In the name andin behalf of the students, I have brought the facts to your notice,"said Vallington, breaking the impressive stillness, as the principaldid not seem disposed to do so.
"After the riotous proceedings of this afternoon, I might haveexpected this; but I did not," the principal began. "You appear tohave intimidated Poodles to such an extent that he has entirelymodified and reversed the statements he made this afternoon. He is aweak-minded boy, and it was not difficult to do so."
This remark roused the ire of Poodles, and it required a sharpreprimand from the judge to repress his impertinence.
"Pearl is a poor boy, upon whose fears you seem to have successfullywrought. A confession from either of them, under the circumstances, isnot reliable. I do not countenance this meeting, or these proceedings.I am not to be intimidated by your action. In regard to what you havedone, I have nothing to say; but I require you to separate, and go atonce to your rooms."
"Will you be kind enough to inform us what you intend to do, Mr.Parasyte?" said Vallington.
"I am not to be taken to task by my pupils."
"We do not intend to resort to any disorderly proceedings," added thejudge. "Poodles and Pearl, without compulsion, have acknowledgedtheir errors, and it has been fully proved that Thornton was not toblame for the affair on the pier. We ask, therefore, that Thornton berestored to his rank and privileges as a member of the Institute. Ifthis is not done, at least fifty of us will sign a paper urging ourparents and guardians to take us away from this school."
"I will grant nothing under these circumstances--promise nothing,"replied the principal, doggedly.
"We are in no haste. We leave the matter for your consideration, Mr.Parasyte. We will all go to our rooms now."
Vallington left the chair, and walked out of the school-room, followedin good order by all the students who had taken part in theseirregular proceedings. I was going out with the rest, when Mr.Parasyte intimated that he had something to say to me, and I remained.When the boys had all gone, he invited me to accompany him to hisprivate office--a small apartment, opening from the main hall, nearthe front door, in which he received callers, and sat in state whennot employed in the school-room.
There is an old saying that "you must summer and winter" a man beforeyou know him. Mr. Parasyte was considered a tyrant; not a coarse andbrutal tyrant, but a refined and gentlemanly one, who cows you by hispolite impertinence. He seldom indulged in harsh speech, never inpersonal violence--at least no instance of it was known to thestudents. He indulged in sneers and polished browbeating. A boy wasnever stupid--he lacked common intelligence; never a blockhead--hisperceptions were very dull. His polite epithets were more cutting thangood round invectives would have been.
He had a will of his own; and he was obstinate, mulish, pig-headed. Ifhe had been surprised into declaring that black was white, then blackwould continue to be white, in spite of positive demonstration to thecontrary. He was dogmatic to the last degree; and this is a fault towhich the schoolmaster is peculiarly liable. It required the event ofthe day whereof I speak to enable us fully to comprehend Mr. Parasyte.We had summered him before; now we were to winter him.
What he had said in the school-room indicated that he intended toregard the confessions of Poodles and Pearl as extorted from them byintimidation, and that he purposed to persist in persecuting me. I hadno desire to be a martyr; but I did not see how I could help myself.
"Thornton, I see you intend, if possible, to break up the ParkvilleLiberal Institute," said he.
"No, sir, I
do not. I hadn't anything to do with what took place inthe school-room," I replied.
"You did not seem to be a martyr there," sneered he. "The boys havemade a mistake; so have you. They don't know me; you don't. You got upa quarrel this afternoon."
"No, sir, I did not."
"Don't contradict me," said he, sharply. "I say you got up a quarrelthis afternoon."
"And I say I did not."
"I am in no humor to trifle with you," said he, opening a desk, andtaking out a cowhide.
I was willing to confess, when I saw that implement, that I had notknown him before. He was about to step down from refined to brutaltyranny.
"Poodles himself has confessed that he lied," I added, taking nofurther notice of the cowhide.
"Confessed!" exclaimed Mr. Parasyte, savagely. "The boys have eitherbribed or frightened him into this confession. It will have no effectupon me."
"I have nothing to say, then," I answered, with dignity. "If you willlook into the case again, and require Poodles to do the examples, youwill see that you, and not the boys, have made a mistake."
"Silence, sir! I don't intend to be addressed in that impudent way byany student. I have attempted to suppress this rebellion by mildmeans; but they have failed. I have been to see your uncle. As Isupposed he would, he has taken a proper view of the case. He does notwish to have you expelled, and I revoke my sentence; but he desires tohave you reduced to subjection."
My uncle had actually spoken, and taken sides with the tyrant. I wasastonished, but not intimidated.
"I have drawn up a paper for you to sign, which shall be read to theboys to-morrow morning. There it is."
RESISTANCE TO TYRANNY.--Page 99.]
I glanced at the document. It was an acknowledgment of all Mr.Parasyte charged me with, and a promise to behave myself properly. Irefused to sign it. The principal rolled up his sleeves, and took thecowhide in his hand. He looked cool and malignant.
"Then I shall do as your uncle wishes me to do--reduce you tosubjection," said he. "Consider well what you are doing."
"I have considered, sir. If you strike me with that cowhide, I shalldo the best I can to defend myself."
"Do you threaten me?" demanded Mr. Parasyte, stepping towards me witha jerk.
"No, sir; but I will not submit to a blow, if it costs me my life."
"Won't you? We'll see."
He did see. He struck me. The blow cut my soul. I sprang upon him withall the tiger in my nature let loose. I kicked, bit, scratched. Iclawed at his throat like a vampire, and, though severely belabored, Ifinally wrenched the cowhide from his grasp, and hurled him back sothat he fell full length upon the floor.