Instantly the answer came from the corner,
“To study psychology, sir.”
“Will any one tell me what is meant by psychology?”
“‘A study of the mind and the processes of the mind, as such,’” responded another student.
“‘As such.’ What is meant by that, sir?”
One of my classmates undertook to explain that “as such” meant that the “states of the mind” were to be studied as “states of the mind,” and not as—eh—
“Mince pies?” asked the professor, with a slight, serious elevation of his eyebrows.
For the next five minutes he went around the class involving each one of us in our own ignorance until it was impossible for him to get a reply to any one of his questions.
“Too bad,” he muttered, seriously. “I really don’t see how we are to get on. This won’t do. You had better go back to your rooms and come tomorrow and see if we can let in any daylight on this matter. Good afternoon, gentlemen!”
We resolved that we would not study a single word for the morrow; but that we would go into the class and have no information to offer. We would see how the professor would like that!