Two days later, Randolph gave his impression of the performance to Foster.
"It's just what I should have expected," declared the cripple
acrimoniously. "I'm glad you never had any taste for the fellow; and I
should have been quite as well pleased if I hadn't found you caring for the
other."
Randolph took refuge in a bland inexpressiveness. There was no need to
school his face: he had only to discipline his voice.
"Oh, well," he said smoothly, "it's only a passing _amitie_--something
soon to be over, perhaps." He used an alien word because he could not
select, on the instant, from his stock of English, the word he needed, and
because he was not quite sure what idea he wanted to express. "I only
wish," he went on, in the same even tone, "that this chap had been doing
better by his work. At one early stage of the rehearsals there was a lot of
registration and fee-paying for the new term. Well, if he hasn't been
satisfactory, they needn't blame me. Let them blame the system that diverts
so much time and attention to interests quite outside the regular
curriculum."
"You talk like a book!" said Foster, with blunt disdain.
Pages:
317
318
319
320
321
322
323
324
325
326
327
328
329
330
331
332
333
334
335
336
337
338
339
340
341