小说园

第75部分（第1页）

was；　e　into　contact　with　those　boys。　She　would　be　Standard

Five　teacher；　as　far　away　personally　from　her　class　as　if　she

had　never　set　foot　in　St。　Philips　school。　She　would　just

obliterate　them　all；　and　keep　herself　apart；　take　them　as

scholars　only。

So　her　face　grew　more　and　more　shut；　and　over　her　flayed；

exposed　soul　of　a　young　girl　who　had　gone　open　and　warm　to　give

herself　to　the　children；　there　set　a　hard；　insentient　thing；

that　worked　mechanically　according　to　a　system　imposed。

It　seemed　she　scarcely　saw　her　class　the　next　day。　She　could

only　feel　her　will；　and　what　she　would　have　of　this　class　which

she　must　grasp　into　subjection。　It　was　no　good；　any　more；　to

appeal；　to　play　upon　the　better　feelings　of　the　class。　Her

swift…working　soul　realized　this。

She；　as　teacher；　must　bring　them　all　as　scholars；　into

subjection。　And　this　she　was　going　to　do。　All　else　she　would

forsake。　She　had　bee　hard　and　impersonal；　almost　avengeful　on

herself　as　well　as　on　them；　since　the　stone　throwing。　She　did

not　want　to　be　a　person；　to　be　herself　any　more；　after　such

humiliation。　She　would　assert　herself　for　mastery；　be　only

teacher。　She　was　set　now。　She　was　going　to　fight　and　subdue。

She　knew　by　now　her　enemies　in　the　class。　The　one　she　hated

most　was　Williams。　He　was　a　sort　of　defective；　not　bad　enough　to

be　so　classed。　He　could　read　with　fluency；　and　had　plenty　of

cunning　intelligence。　But　he　could　not　keep　still。　And　he　had　a

kind　of　sickness　very　repulsive　to　a　sensitive　girl；　something

cunning　and　etiolated　and　degenerate。　Once　he　had　thrown　an

ink…well　at　her；　in　one　of　his　mad　little　rages。　Twice　he　had

run　home　out　of　class。　He　was　a　well…known　character。

And　he　grinned　up　his　sleeve　at　this　girl…teacher；　sometimes

hanging　round　her　to　fawn　on　her。　But　this　made　her　dislike　him

more。　He　had　a　kind　of　leech…like　power。

From　one　of　the　children　she　took　a　supple　cane；　and　this　she

determined　to　use　when　real　occasion　came。　One　morning；　at

position；　she　said　to　the　boy　Williams：

〃Why　have　you　made　this　blot？〃