I could not stand my half self-hypnotised hypocrisy any longer. A spirit
of mischief and horseplay awoke in me. I perpetrated a hundred
misdemeanours, most of them unpunishable elsewhere, but of serious
import in schools and barracks, where discipline is to be maintained. I
stayed out of bounds late at night ... I cut classes continually. I
visited Fairfield ... and a factory town further south, where I lounged
about the streets all day, talking with people.
Professor Stanton, not to my surprise, sent for me again.
Yet I was amazed at what he knew about me, amazed, too, to discover the
extent of the school's complicated system of pious espionage that
checked up the least move of every student.
Stanton brought out a sheet of paper with dates and facts of my
misbehaviour that could not be controverted....
"So we will have to ask you to withdraw from the school, unless you
right-about-face ... otherwise, we have had enough of you ... in fact,
if it had not been for your great promise--your talents!--"
I waved the compliment aside rather wearily.
"I think that if this school has had enough of me, I have had about
enough of the school."
I expressed, in plain terms, my opinion of their espionage system.
"Your omnipotent God must be hard put to it when He has to rely on the
help of such sneakiness to keep His Book (and I couldn't help laughing
at the literary turn I gave to my denunciation) before the public!"
Stanton's eyes flamed behind their glasses.
Pages:
252
253
254
255
256
257
258
259
260
261
262
263
264
265
266
267
268
269
270
271
272
273
274
275
276