“Then all I can say, sir, is that I am more than astonished. I am chagrined. We are trying to inculcate in midshipmen’s minds a sense of duty and responsibility, and here you, a second classman, nearly a first classman, and to make matters worse, number one man in your class, deliberately defy the regulations and commit one of the most serious breaches of discipline. I am chagrined because I had depended on you as one of the strong men in your class for the good. A man to lead and influence others. In fact I had bragged about you. You are helping to make this place a failure, sir; you can have no appreciation of what the government is doing for you. I am disappointed in you, sir.”
With burning face, but saying nothing, Ralph listened to the commandant’s scathing reprimand.
“Well, you will be punished, of course. You will receive fifty demerits and will be restricted to the academic limits until June first. But your punishment will be more than this. There is no question whatever but that you would have been next year appointed cadet lieutenant-commander of the battalion. I am glad we know how utterly you defy the regulations, disappointed as I am in you. I assure you that when cadet officers are selected from your class next September your name will not be considered. That will do, sir.”
Ralph was glad it was over and that he knew the worst. He had sacrificed more than he had thought about; that the commandant had already in his mind selected Ralph for the highest cadet office was a pleasing thought, and he bitterly regretted that Bollup’s conduct had cost him this; yet not for a minute was he sorry he had saved Bollup, even at this great sacrifice.
“What did the commandant say?” asked Himski eagerly, when Ralph had reached his room.
“He knocked me hard,” Ralph replied; “gave me fifty demerits and two months’ restriction. But look here, Himski, he said I would have been the next four striper;[9] what do you think of that? But now he has promised me a clean sleeve.”[10]
“Too bad,” said Himski. “I had spotted you for our next four striper. But I hope you are not sorry,” he added.
“I’m sorry I had to do it,” replied Ralph, “not sorry that I did it.”
“Of course, that’s the right spirit.”
Ralph’s classmates were much surprised the next day when his name figured on the conduct report for “Frenching,” and much curiosity was displayed about the matter. But he refused to discuss it with anybody, much to Bollup’s astonishment. The latter was much puzzled; in his mind he connected Ralph’s offense with his own disgraceful conduct and tried by every means to learn the cause of Ralph’s act, but with no success.