College teachers -- Fiction; Interpersonal relations -- Fiction; United States -- Social life and customs -- 19th century -- Fiction
"Is that a _young_ lady?" he whispered rather stupidly.
The doctor looked at him with unfriendly astonishment.
"Naturally!"
"I mean--is there another person of that name in the town?--an aunt,
perhaps, or--"
"No," said Dr. Green, "there isn't."
"And here!" Mr. Utterly's pencil moved to another point. "'Richard
Everman Lister.' Do you know anything of him?"
The doctor jerked his head toward the organ. "That was he."
"Did you ever hear of a Basil Everman?"
It was impossible to tell whether this jerk of head signified impatience
or negation. Utterly pointed again to Richard's name. He did not
observe or choose to observe that the doctor objected to this whispered
questioning.
"Do you know anything about his relatives?"
"I know them all."
"And there is no Basil Everman?"
The doctor turned his shoulder now with an unmistakable intention to say
no more. As Utterly slid back to his place, he saw an old catalogue in
another pew and leaned forward to secure it. Among the former presidents
of the college was Richard Everman, who was also Professor of Greek.
Basil--who but a Professor of Greek would give his son such a name? Mr.
Utterly glared at Dr. Green. Was this foolish doctor trying to conceal
something from him, something which he had every right to know? He had a
moment's silly suspicion that the conductor and the hotel-keeper and the
brakeman and the doctor might have conspired against him.
Putting the old catalogue into his pocket, he gave his attention to the
speaker, that same bright-eyed, blond Richard who was beginning his
"_Auditores_, _Comites_, _Professores_," in a clear voice and with a
smiling face. Utterly smiled back, partly in response and partly at the
old-fashioned English pronunciation, antiquated even to him, though he
was years older than these children.
Between Richard Lister and Eleanor Bent came ten speakers, each
addressing a tense and motionless audience, sympathetic with aspiring
youth, sympathetic in turn with each attentive parent and sister, and
breathing audible sighs with each concluding bow. Of all the boys only
Richard was composed. The only girl in the class beside Eleanor, Cora
Scott, made no impression upon Utterly except that she was a frail
little thing, what color and prettiness she might have overshadowed,
blotted out by the black gown in which she was swathed. Of them all, no
one failed, but there were slight hesitations and cheeks red with
embarrassment. The topics which they discussed might well have excited
older heads than theirs. Especially were the theories of Mr. Darwin,
penetrating after many years to Walton College, now torn, shredded, cast
to the winds.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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