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〃Nonsense； Panky； no one saw us but Higgs； and the evidence of a
foreign devil； in such straits as his； could not stand for a
moment。 We did not eat them。 No； no； she has something that she
thinks better than that。 Besides； it is absolutely impossible that
she should have heard what happened。 What I do not understand is；
why she should have told us about the Sunchild's being here at all。
Why not have left us to find it out or to know nothing about it？ I
do not understand it。〃
So true is it； as Euclid long since observed； that the less cannot
comprehend that which is the greater。 True； however； as this is；
it is also sometimes true that the greater cannot comprehend the
less。 Hanky went musing to his own room and threw himself into an
easy chair to think the position over。 After a few minutes he went
to a table on which he saw pen； ink； and paper； and wrote a short
letter； then he rang the bell。
When the servant came he said； 〃I want to send this note to the
manager of the new temple； and it is important that he should have
it to…night。 Be pleased； therefore； to take it to him and deliver
it into his own hands； but I had rather you said nothing about it
to the Mayor or Mayoress； nor to any of your fellow…servants。 Slip
out unperceived if you can。 When you have delivered the note； ask
for an answer at once； and bring it to me。〃
So saying； he slipped a sum equal to about five shillings into the
man's hand。
The servant returned in about twenty minutes； for the temple was
quite near； and gave a note to Hanky； which ran； 〃Your wishes shall
be attended to without fail。〃
〃Good！〃 said Hanky to the man。 〃No one in the house knows of your
having run this errand for me？〃
〃No one； sir。〃
〃Thank you！ I wish you a very good night。〃
CHAPTER XIII： A VISIT TO THE PROVINCIAL DEFORMATORY AT FAIRMEAD
Having finished his early dinner； and not fearing that he should be
either recognised at Fairmead or again enquired after from
Sunch'ston； my father went out for a stroll round the town； to see
what else he could find that should be new and strange to him。 He
had not gone far before he saw a large building with an inscription
saying that it was the Provincial Deformatory for Boys。 Underneath
the larger inscription there was a smaller oneone of those
corrupt versions of my father's sayings； which； on dipping into the
Sayings of the Sunchild； he had found to be so vexatiously common。
The inscription ran：…
〃When the righteous man turneth away from the righteousness that he
hath committed； and doeth that which is a little naughty and wrong；
he will generally be found to have gained in amiability what he has
lost in righteousness。〃 Sunchild Sayings； chap。 xxii。 v。 15。
The case of the little girl that he had watched earlier in the day
had filled him with a great desire to see the working of one of
these curious institutions； he therefore resolved to call on the
headmaster （whose name he found to be Turvey）； and enquire about
terms； alleging that he had a boy whose incorrigible rectitude was
giving him much anxiety。 The information he had gained in the
forenoon would be enough to save him from appearing to know nothing
of the system。 On having rung the bell； he announced himself to
the servant as a Mr。 Senoj； and asked if he could see the
Principal。
Almost immediately he was ushered into the presence of a beaming；
dapper…looking； little old gentleman； quick of speech and movement；
in spite of some little portliness。
〃Ts； ts； ts；〃 he said； when my father had enquired about terms and
asked whether he might see the system at work。 〃How unfortunate
that you should have called on a Saturday afternoon。 We always
have a half…holiday。 But stayyesthat will do very nicely； I
will send for them into school as a means of stimulating their
refractory system。〃
He called his servant and told him to ring the boys into school。
Then； turning to my father he said； 〃Stand here； sir； by the
window； you will see them all come trooping in。 H'm； h'm； I am
sorry to see them still come back as soon as they hear the bell。 I
suppose I shall ding some recalcitrancy into them some day； but it
is uphill work。 Do you see the head…boythe third of those that
are coming up the path？ I shall have to get rid of him。 Do you
see him？ he is going back to whip up the laggersand now he has
boxed a boy's ears： that boy is one of the most hopeful under my
care。 I feel sure he has been using improper language； and my
head…boy has checked him instead of encouraging him。〃 And so on
till the boys were all in school。
〃You see； my dear sir；〃 he said to my father； 〃we are in an
impossible position。 We have to obey instructions from the Grand
Council of Education at Bridgeford； and they have established these
institutions in consequence of the Sunchild's having said that we
should aim at promoting the greatest happiness of the greatest
number。 This； no doubt； is a sound principle； and the greatest
number are by nature somewhat dull； conceited； and unscrupulous。
They do not like those who are quick； unassuming； and sincere； how；
then； consistently with the first principles either of morality or
political economy as revealed to us by the Sunchild； can we
encourage such people if we can bring sincerity and modesty fairly
home to them？ We cannot do so。 And we must correct the young as
far as possible from forming habits which； unless indulged in with
the greatest moderation； are sure to ruin them。
〃I cannot pretend to consider myself very successful。 I do my
best； but I can only aim at making my school a reflection of the
outside world。 In the outside world we have to tolerate much that
is prejudicial to the greatest happiness of the greatest number；
partly because we cannot always discover in time who may be let
alone as being genuinely insincere； and who are in reality masking
sincerity under a garb of flippancy； and partly also because we
wish to err on the side of letting the guilty escape； rather than
of punishing the innocent。 Thus many people who are perfectly well
known to belong to the straightforward classes are allowed to
remain at large； and may be even seen hobnobbing with the guardians
of public immorality。 Indeed it is not in the public interest that
straightforwardness should be extirpated root and branch； for the
presence of a small modicum of sincerity acts as a wholesome
irritant to the academicism of the greatest number； stimulating it
to consciousness of its own happy state； and giving it something to
look down upon。 Moreover； we hold it useful to have a certain
number of melancholy examples； whose notorious failure shall serve
as a warning to those who neglect cultivating that power of immoral
self…control which shall prevent them from saying； or even
thinking； anything that shall not immediately and palpably minister
to the happiness； and hence meet the approval； of the greatest
number。〃
By this time the boys were all in school。 〃There is not one prig
in the whole lot；〃 said the headmaster sadly。 〃I wish there was；
but only those boys come here who are notoriously too good to
become current coin in the world unless they are hardened with an
alloy of vice。 I should have liked to show you our gambling； book…
making； and speculation class； but the assistant…master who attends
to this branch of our curriculum is gone to Sunch'ston this
afternoon。 He has friends who have asked him to see the dedication
of the new temple； and he will not be back till Monday。 I really
do not know what I can do better for you than examine the boys in
Counsels of Imperfection。
So saying； he went into the schoolroom； over the fireplace of which
my father's eye caught an inscription； 〃Resist good； and it will
fly from you。 Sunchild's Sayings； xvii。 2。〃 Then； taking down a
copy of the work just named from a shelf above his desk； he ran his
eye over a few of its pages。
He called up a class of about twenty boys。
〃Now； my boys；〃 he said； 〃Why is it so necessary to avoid extremes
of truthfulness？〃
〃It is not necessary； sir；〃 said one youngster； 〃and the man who
says that it is so is a scoundrel。〃
〃Come here； my boy； and hold out your hand。〃 When he had done so；
Mr。 Turvey gave him two sharp cuts with a cane。 〃There now； go
down to the bottom of the class and try not to be so extremely
truthful in future。〃 Then； turning to my father； he said； 〃I hate
caning them； but it is the only way to teach them。 I really do
believe that boy will know better than to say what he thinks
another time。〃
He repeated his question to the class； and the head…boy answered；
〃Because； sir； extremes meet； and extreme truth will be mixed with
extreme falsehood。〃
〃Quite right； my boy。 Truth is like religion； it has only two
enemiesthe too much and the too little。 Your answer is more
satisfactory than some of your recent conduct had led me to
expect。〃
〃But； sir； you punished me only three weeks ago for telling you a
lie。〃
〃Oh yes； why； so I did； I had forgotten。 But then you overdid it。
Still it was a step in the right direction。〃
〃And now； my boy；〃 he said to a very frank and ingenuous youth
a