Портрет художника в юности
Chapter 1
FatherArnallrosefromhisseatandwentamongthem,helpingtheboyswithgentlewordsandtellingthemthemistakestheyhadmade.Hisvoicewasverygentleandsoft.ThenhereturnedtohisseatandsaidtoFlemingandStephen:
—Youmayreturntoyourplaces,youtwo.
FlemingandStephenroseand,walkingtotheirseats,satdown.Stephen,scarletwithshame,openedabookquicklywithoneweakhandandbentdownuponit,hisfaceclosetothepage.
Itwasunfairandcruelbecausethedoctorhadtoldhimnottoreadwithoutglassesandhehadwrittenhometohisfatherthatmorningtosendhimanewpair.AndFatherArnallhadsaidthatheneednotstudytillthenewglassescame.ThentobecalledaschemerbeforetheclassandtobepandiedwhenhealwaysgotthecardforfirstorsecondandwastheleaderoftheYorkists!Howcouldtheprefectofstudiesknowthatitwasatrick?Hefeltthetouchoftheprefect’sfingersastheyhadsteadiedhishandandatfirsthehadthoughthewasgoingtoshakehandswithhimbecausethefingersweresoftandfirm:buttheninaninstanthehadheardtheswishofthesoutanesleeveandthecrash.Itwascruelandunfairtomakehimkneelinthemiddleoftheclassthen:andFatherArnallhadtoldthemboththattheymightreturntotheirplaceswithoutmakinganydifferencebetweenthem.HelistenedtoFatherArnall’slowandgentlevoiceashecorrectedthethemes.Perhapshewassorrynowandwantedtobedecent.Butitwasunfairandcruel.
