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
about half way up the class； 〃and how is truth best reached？〃
〃Through the falling out of thieves； sir。〃
〃Quite so。 Then it will be necessary that the more earnest；
careful； patient； self…sacrificing； enquirers after truth should
have a good deal of the thief about them； though they are very
honest people at the same time。 Now what does the man〃 （who on
enquiry my father found to be none other than Mr。 Turvey himself）
〃say about honesty？〃
〃He says； sir； that honesty does not consist in never stealing； but
in knowing how and where it will be safe to do so。〃
〃Remember；〃 said Mr。 Turvey to my father； 〃how necessary it is that
we should have a plentiful supply of thieves； if honest men are
ever to come by their own。〃
He spoke with the utmost gravity； evidently quite easy in his mind
that his scheme was the only one by which truth could be
successfully attained。
〃But pray let me have any criticism you may feel inclined to make。〃
〃I have none；〃 said my father。 〃Your system commends itself to
common sense； it is the one adopted in the law courts； and it lies
at the very foundation of party government。 If your academic
bodies can supply the country with a sufficient number of thieves
which I have no doubt they canthere seems no limit to the amount
of truth that may be attained。 If； however； I may suggest the only
difficulty that occurs to me； it is that academic thieves shew no
great alacrity in falling out； but incline rather to back each
other up through thick and thin。〃
〃Ah； yes；〃 said Mr。 Turvey； 〃there is that difficulty； nevertheless
circumstances from time to time arise to get them by the ears in
spite of themselves。 But from whatever point of view you may look
at the question； it is obviously better to aim at imperfection than
perfection； for if we aim steadily at imperfection； we shall
probably get it within a reasonable time； whereas to the end of our
days we should never reach perfection。 Moreover； from a worldly
point of view； there is no mistake so great as that of being always
right。〃 He then turned to his class and said …
〃And now tell me what did the Sunchild tell us about God and
Mammon？〃
The head…boy answered： 〃He said that we must serve both； for no
man can serve God well and truly who does not serve Mammon a little
also； and no man can serve Mammon effectually unless he serve God
largely at the same time。〃
〃What were his words？〃
〃He said； 'Cursed be they that say； 〃Thou shalt not serve God and
Mammon； for it is the whole duty of man to know how to adjust the
conflicting claims of these two deities。〃'
Here my father interposed。 〃I knew the Sunchild； and I more than
once heard him speak of God and Mammon。 He never varied the form
of the words he used； which were to the effect that a man must
serve either God or Mammon； but that he could not serve both。〃
〃Ah！〃 said Mr。 Turvey； 〃that no doubt was his exoteric teaching；
but Professors Hanky and Panky have assured me most solemnly that
his esoteric teaching was as I have given it。 By the way； these
gentlemen are both； I understand； at Sunch'ston； and I think it
quite likely that I shall have a visit from them this afternoon。
If you do not know them I should have great pleasure in introducing
you to them； I was at Bridgeford with both of them。〃
〃I have had the pleasure of meeting them already；〃 said my father；
〃and as you are by no means certain that they will come； I will ask
you to let me thank you for all that you have been good enough to
shew me； and bid you good…afternoon。 I have a rather pressing
engagement〃
〃My dear sir； you must please give me five minutes more。 I shall
examine the boys in the Musical Bank Catechism。〃 He pointed to one
of them and said； 〃Repeat your duty towards your neighbour。〃
〃My duty towards my neighbour；〃 said the boy； 〃is to be quite sure
that he is not likely to borrow money of me before I let him speak
to me at all； and then to have as little to do with him as〃
At this point there was a loud ring