Gulmore, The Boss | Page 5

reason or other May was neglecting
her work; when spoken to by the Professor her colour came and went,
and a shyness, visible to all, wrapped her in confusion. Ida felt that
there was no time to be lost, and increased her exertions. As she
thought of her position she determined first to surpass her competitor,
and then in some way or other to bring the Professor to speech. But,
alas! for her plans. One morning she demonstrated her superiority with
cruel clearness, only to find that Roberts, self-absorbed, did not notice
her. He seemed to have lost the vivid interest in the work which
aforetime had characterized him, and the happiness of the man was
only less tell-tale than the pretty contentment and demure approval of
all he said which May scarcely tried to conceal. Wild with fear, blinded

by temper, Ida resolved to know the truth.
One morning when the others left the room she waited, busying herself
apparently with some notes, till the Professor returned, as she knew he
would, in time to receive the next class. While gathering up her books,
she asked abruptly:
"I suppose I should congratulate you, Professor?"
"I don't think I understand you."
"Yes, you do. Why lie? You are engaged to May Hutchings," and the
girl looked at him with flaming eyes.
"I don't know why you should ask me, or why I should answer, but we
have no motive for concealment--yes, I am."
His words were decisive; his reverence for May and her affection had
been wounded by the insolent challenge, but before he finished
speaking his manner became considerate. He was quick to feel the pain
of others and shrank from adding to it--these, indeed, were the two
chief articles of the unformulated creed which directed his actions. His
optimism was of youth and superficial, but the sense of the brotherhood
of human suffering touched his heart in a way that made compassion
and tenderness appear to him to be the highest and simplest of duties. It
was Ida's temper that answered his avowal. Still staring at him she burst
into loud laughter, and as he turned away her tuneless mirth grew
shriller and shriller till it became hysterical. A frightened effort to
regain her self-control, and her voice broke in something like a sob,
while tears trembled on her lashes. The Professor's head was bent over
his desk and he saw nothing. Ida dashed the tears from her eyes
ostentatiously, and walked with shaking limbs out of the room. She
would have liked to laugh again scornfully before closing the door, but
she dared not trust her nerves. From that moment she tried to hate
Professor Roberts as she hated May Hutchings, for her disappointment
had been very sore, and the hurt to her pride smarted like a burn. On
returning home, she told her father that she had taken her name off the
books of the University; she meant to be an actress, and a degree could

be of no use to her in her new career. Her father did not oppose her
openly; he was content to postpone any decisive step, and in a few days
she seemed to have abandoned her project. But time brought no
mitigation of her spite. She was tenacious by nature, and her jealous
rage came back upon her in wild fits. To be outdone by May Hutchings
was intolerable. Besides, the rivalry and triumphs of the class-room had
been as the salt of life to her; now she had nothing to do, nothing to
occupy her affections or give object to her feverish ambition. And the
void of her life she laid to the charge of Roberts. So when the time
came and the temptation, she struck as those strike who are tortured by
pain.
Alone in her room, she justified to herself what she had done. She
thought with pleasure of Professor Roberts' approaching defeat and
punishment. "He deserves it, and more! He knows why I left the
University; drew myself away from him for ever. What does he care for
my suffering? He can't leave me in peace. I wasn't good enough for him,
and my father isn't honest enough. Oh, that I were a man! I'd teach him
that it was dangerous to insult the wretched.
"How I was mistaken in him! He has no delicacy, no true manliness of
character. I'm glad he has thrown down the challenge. Father may not
be well-educated nor refined, but he's strong. Professor Roberts shall
find out what it means to attack us. I hope he'll be turned out of the
University; I hope he will. Let me think. I have a copy of that lecture of
his; perhaps there's something in it worse than I remembered. At any
rate, the report