第 12 节
作者:月寒      更新:2024-04-14 09:15      字数:9321
  When   his   history   said   the   Turkish   Empire   had   fallen;   then   the   Turkish
  Empire fell。 Once Chancellor Black suggested that he add a sixth volume
  that would cover the last three centuries。
  〃In a history of Turkey issued as a text…book;〃 said the chancellor; 〃I
  think the Russian…Turkish War should be included。〃
  Doctor Gilman; from behind his gold…rimmed spectacles; gazed at him
  in   mild   reproach。   〃The   war   in   the   Crimea!〃   he   exclaimed。   〃Why;   I   was
  alive at the time。 I know about it。 That is not history。〃
  Accordingly;   it   followed   that   to      a   man   who    since   the   seventeenth
  century   knew       of  no   event;   of   interest;  Cyrus     Hallowell;     of  the   meat…
  packers'   trust;   was   not   an   imposing   figure。 And   such   a   man   the   son   of
  Cyrus Hallowell was but an ignorant young savage; to whom 〃the〃 history
  certainly     had    been    a  closed    book。    And     so  when     Peter    returned    his
  examination   paper   in   a   condition   almost   as   spotless   as   that   in   which   he
  had received it; Doctor Gilman carefully and conscientiously; with malice
  toward none and; with no thought of the morrow; marked〃 five。〃
  Each of the other professors and instructors had marked Peter fifty。 In
  their fear of Chancellor Black they dared not give the boy less; but they
  refused   to   be   slaves   to   the   extent   of   crediting   him   with   a   single   point
  higher     than    was    necessary     to   pass    him。    But   Doctor     Gilman's      five
  completely knocked out the required average of fifty; and young Peter was
  〃found〃 and could not graduate。 It was an awful business! The only son of
  the only Hallowell refused a degree in his father's own private collegethe
  son of the man who had built the Hallowell Memorial; the new Laboratory;
  the Anna   Hallowell   Chapel;   the  Hallowell   Dormitory;  and   the   Hallowell
  Athletic Field。 When on the bulletin board of the dim hall of the Memorial
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  to his departed grandfather Peter read of his own disgrace and downfall;
  the light the stained…glass window cast upon his nose was of no sicklier a
  green than was the nose itself。 Not that Peter wanted an A。M。 or an A。B。;
  not that he desired laurels he had not won; but because the young man was
  afraid of his father。 And he had cause to be。 Father arrived at Stillwater the
  next morning。 The interviews that followed made Stillwater history。
  〃My son is not an ass!〃 is what Hallowell senior is said to have said to
  Doctor Black。 〃And if in four years you and your faculty cannot give him
  the rudiments of an education; I will send him to a college that can。 And
  I'll send my money where I send Peter。〃
  In reply Chancellor Black could have said that it was the fault of the
  son and not of the college; he could have said that where three men had
  failed to graduate one hundred and eighty had not。 But did he say that? Oh;
  no; he did not say that! He was not that sort of; a college president。 Instead;
  he remained calm and sympathetic; and like a conspirator in a comic opera
  glanced apprehensively round his; study。 He lowered his voice。
  〃There has been contemptible work here; 〃he whispered〃spite and a
  mean   spirit   of   reprisal。   I   have   been   making   a   secret investigation;   and   I
  find   that   this   blow   at   your   son   and   you;   and   at   the   good   name   of   our
  college was struck by one man; a man with a grievanceDoctor Gilman。
  Doctor Gilman has repeatedly desired me to raise his salary。〃 This did not
  happen to be true; but in such a crisis Dotor Black could not afford to be
  too particular。
  〃I have seen no reason for raising his salaryand there you have the
  explanation。 In revenge he has made this attack。 But he overshot his mark。
  In   causing   us   temporary   embarrassment   he   has   brought   about   his   own
  downfall。 I have already asked for his resignation。〃
  Every   day   in   the   week   Hallowell   was   a   fair;   sane   man;   but   on   this
  particular     day   he  was    wounded;      his  spirit  was    hurt;  his   self…esteem
  humiliated。 He was in a state of mind to believe anything rather than that
  his son was an idiot。
  〃I don't want the man discharged;〃 he protested; 〃just because Peter is
  lazy。 But if Doctor Gilman was moved by personal considerations; if he
  sacrificed my Peter in order to get even 。 。 。 。〃
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  〃That;〃 exclaimed Black in a horrified whisper; 〃is exactly what he did!
  Your generosity to the college is well known。 You are recognized all over
  America as its patron。 And he believed that when I refused him an increase
  in salary  it   was really  you   who refused itand  he struck   at   you   through
  your   son。   Everybody   thinks   so。   The   college   is   on   fire   with   indignation。
  And look at the mark he gave Peter! Five! That in itself shows the malice。
  Five is not a mark; it is an insult! No one; certainly not your brilliant son
  look how brilliantly he managed the glee…club and foot…ball touris stupid
  enough to deserve five。 No; Doctor Gilman went too far。 And he has been
  justly punished!〃
  What Hallowell senior was willing to believe of what the chancellor
  told   him;   and   his   opinion   of   the   matter   as   expressed   to   Peter;   differed
  materially。
  〃They   tell   me;〃   he   concluded;   〃that   in   the   fall   they   will   give   you
  another examination; and if you pass then; you will get your degree。 No
  one will know you've got it。 They'll slip it to you out of the side…door like
  a   cold   potato to   a tramp。 The   only  thing   people   will   know  is   that   when
  your classmates stood up and got their parchmentsthe thing they'd been
  working for four years; the only reason for their going to college at all
  YOU were not among those present。 That's your fault; but if you don't get
  your   degree   next   fall   that   will   be   my   fault。   I've   supported   you   through
  college and you've failed to deliver the goods。 Now you deliver them next
  fall; or you can support yourself。〃
  〃That will be all right;〃 said Peter humbly; 〃I'll pass next fall。〃
  〃I'm going to make sure of that;〃 said Hallowell senior。 〃To… morrow
  you     will   take   those   history    books    that   you   did   not   open;    especially
  Gilman's 'Rise and Fall;' which it seems you have not even purchased; and
  you will travel for the entire summer with a private tutor 。 。 。 。〃
  Peter; who had personally conducted the foot…ball and base… ball teams
  over     half  of  the   Middle     States   and   daily   bullied    and   browbeat     them;
  protested with indignation。 〃WON'T travel with a private tutor!〃
  〃If   I   say   so;〃   returned   Hallowell   senior   grimly;   〃you'll   travel   with   a
  governess and a trained nurse; and wear a strait jacket。 And you'll continue
  to   wear   it   until   you   can   recite   the   history   of   Turkey   backward。 And   in
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  order   that   you   may   know   it   backwardand   forward   you   will   spend   this
  summer       in  Turkeyin     Constantinopleuntil       I  send   you   permission      to
  come home。〃
  〃Constantinople!〃 yelled Peter。 〃In August! Are you serious?〃
  〃 Do I look it?〃 asked Peter's father。 He did。
  〃In   Constantinople;〃   explained   Mr。   Hallowell   senior;   〃there   will   be
  nothing to distract   you from  your   studies; and in   spite of yourself   every
  minute you will be imbibing history and local color。〃
  〃I'll   be   imbibing   fever;〃;   returned   Peter;   〃and   sunstroke   and   sudden
  death。 If you want to get rid of me; why don't you send me to the island
  where they sent Dreyfus? It's quicker。 You don't have to go to Turkey to
  study about Turkey。〃
  〃You do!〃 said his father。
  Peter did not wait for the festivities of commencement week。 All day
  he   hid   in   his   room;   packing   his   belongings   or   giving   them   away   to   e
  members of his class; who came to tell him what a rotten shame it was;
  and to bid him good…by。 They loved Peter for himself alone; and at losing
  him were loyally enraged。 They sired publicly to express their sentiments;
  and to that end they planned a mock trial of the Rise and Fall;〃 at which a
  packed   jury   would   sentence   it   to   cremation。   They   planned   also   to   hang
  Doctor Gilman in effigy。 The effigy with