“I’m not sure that I shan’t.”
“You mean to say you may vote to give the highest honor in the class to the one man in the class who you know has done a dishonorable thing?”
“I haven’t fully decided. He’s the most brilliant athlete we’ve got, he’s the most popular fellow generally, and he’s my oldest friend.”
“If he’s elected, an injustice is done to Farrar or Colby, either of whom would be chosen in preference if the truth were known.”
“It won’t be a very serious injustice. Farrar’s had the captaincy of the football team, Colby’s had the captaincy of the crew; Lester’s never had anything, though he has contributed more to our athletic success than any other fellow in college.”
“I don’t know whether you’re too lax in your ideas, or whether I’m too stiff in mine,” said Richard after a moment, “but certainly one of us must be wrong.”
“My idea simply is: he’s a friend, he feels badly, he’s filled with remorse—treat him with consideration.”
“Mine is that friendship shouldn’t blind us to his acts or cause us to inflict injustice upon another.”
“What would you do to prevent what you call injustice?” asked David. “Would you go about telling everybody to vote for Farrar because you had discovered something that, if it were generally known, would make Lester ineligible?”