“I regret,” he began slowly, “that you have denounced me with such force and bitterness, since your condemnation falls equally as heavily—”
Parmenter stopped suddenly. A spark of manhood shot up from his breast at the supreme moment, and closed his lips. Whatever the provocation might be he would not stoop to such meanness as that.
For one moment he stood, with white face and clenched hands, stemming, with powerful effort, the tide of speech that had threatened to break disastrously from his lips. Then he turned slowly to the president.
“I do not deny the charge,” he said.
“Have you anything to say in extenuation?”
“Nothing.”
“We shall not keep you longer before us. We thank you for your prompt attendance. Good-morning, Mr. Parmenter.”
With much dignity President Mather bowed the young man out.