This onslaught of mine produced an obvious revulsion in my favour. The
President conferred hastily with his colleagues, and then said that my
arrest had indeed been made upon the information of Lucius, and with the
cognisance of the Court; but that he sincerely regretted that I had any
complaint of unhandsome usage to make, and that the matter would be
certainly inquired into. He then added that he understood from my words
that I desired to make a complete submission, and that in that case I
should be acquitted of any evil intentions. My fault appeared to be that
I had yielded too easily to the promptings of an ill-balanced and
speculative disposition, and that if I would undertake to disturb no
longer the peace of the place, and to desist from all further tampering
with the domestic happiness of a much-respected pair, I should be
discharged with a caution, and indeed be admitted again to the
privileges of orderly residence.
"And I will undertake to say," he added, "that the kindness and courtesy
of our community will overlook your fault, and make no further reference
to a course of conduct which appears to have been misguided rather than
deliberately malevolent.
Pages:
221
222
223
224
225
226
227
228
229
230
231
232
233
234
235
236
237
238
239
240
241
242
243
244
245