The Mayor of WarwickHopkins, Herbert M. (Herbert Müller)
General
The Mayor of Warwick
Hopkins, Herbert M. (Herbert Müller)
Mayors -- Fiction; New England -- Social life and customs -- Fiction; Social classes -- United States -- Fiction
contact begins and ends in the class-room. In short, I believe you
will agree with us that the experiment has not been altogether a
success from this point of view. I accept your explanation of the
specific charge gladly, and congratulate you upon correcting an
impression that did you injustice."
It was Leigh's first meeting in his professional life with that malign
experience, injustice in the garb of plausibility, from which there is
no appeal. He could not bring himself to acquiesce in silence, though
he knew that explanation and protest were vain.
"Dr. Renshaw," he rejoined, in a voice that showed his deep chagrin and
sense of wrong, "the proved falsity of the first charge throws
suspicion on the second, which is, after all, mainly a conjecture as to
my state of mind in regard to St. George's Hall. I must plead guilty
to the sin of personal ambition; but how can you expect a man to become
entirely identified with the spirit of a place in a few months? It is
evident to me that there are certain men who wish me gone, for reasons
best known to themselves, and that they have trumped up these absurd
charges." He flung himself to his feet indignantly. "This merely
illustrates how easy it is to find plausible complaints against any
man, and also that even-handed justice is the last thing one should
look for in the world."
The president rose also. They were standing almost in darkness, but
the afterglow of the sunset, streaming through the western windows and
an intervening door, illumined the old man's face. His expression was
one of concern, tempered by an humorous appreciation of the
youthfulness of Leigh's last remark.
"Young man," he said, putting his hand on Leigh's shoulder, much as if
he were admonishing a student, "I beg you not to allow this experience
to colour your views with cynicism, for cynicism hurts only the cynic,
and fails to take account of all the facts of life. As you have
intimated, even-handed justice, inasmuch as it implies omniscience, is
an attribute of God alone, but we have not been consciously unjust to
you, according to our light. Personally I regret your departure, and I
wish to assure you of my confidence in your future. You will doubtless
one day look back upon this apparent contretemps as a blessing in
disguise."
Leigh was far from being mollified by this platitudinous commiseration,
though he credited the kindness of heart that gave it birth; and he
took leave of the president without further remark. Then he went out
into the twilight, more deeply humiliated than ever before in his life.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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