‘Then perhaps probation for the remainder of the term would be more appropriate,’ suggested the principal, glancing at the chaplain.
‘Along with the loss of all privileges, including weekend leaves, until further notice,’ added Dr Wade.
‘Does that seem to you a fair compromise, Fletcher?’ asked the principal, raising an eyebrow. It was Fletcher’s turn to remain silent. ‘Compromise, Fletcher,’ interjected the chaplain, ‘is something you will have to learn to live with if you hope to become a successful politician.’
Fletcher didn’t respond immediately. ‘I accept your judgement, Dr Wade,’ he eventually said, and, turning to the principal, added, ‘and thank you for your indulgence, sir.’
‘Thank you, Fletcher,’ said Mr Fleming as the student president rose from his place and left the principal’s study.
‘Wisdom, courage and conviction are rare enough in a grown man,’ said the principal quietly as the door closed, ‘but in a child...’
‘Then what is your explanation, Mr Cartwright?’ asked the dean of Yale’s examination board.
‘I don’t have one, sir,’ Nat admitted. ‘It must be a coincidence.’
‘It’s quite a coincidence,’ said the dean of academic affairs, ‘that large sections of your paper on Clarence Darrow are word for word identical to those of another student in your class.’
‘And what’s his explanation?’
‘As he submitted his independent study a week before yours, and it was hand-written, while yours was typed, we haven’t felt it necessary to ask him for an explanation.’
‘Would his name be Ralph Elliot, by any chance?’ asked Nat.
No one on the board commented.
‘How did he manage it?’ asked Tom, when Nat returned to Taft later that evening.
‘He must have copied it out word for word while I was over at Miss Porter’s rehearsing for Twelfth Night.’
‘But he still had to remove the thesis from your room.’
‘That wouldn’t have been difficult,’ said Nat. ‘If it wasn’t on my desk, he would have found it filed under Yale.’
‘But he still took a hell of a risk going into your room when you weren’t there.’
‘Not when you’re the student president. Don’t forget he has the run of the place — no one questions his coming or going. He would easily have had enough time to copy out the text and return the original to my room the same evening without anyone being any the wiser.’
‘So what have the board decided?’
‘Thanks to the principal going overboard on my behalf, Yale has agreed to defer my application for a year.’
‘So Elliot gets away with it once again.’
‘No, he does not,’ said Nat firmly. ‘The principal worked out what must have happened, because Yale have also withdrawn Elliot’s place.’
‘But that only delays the problem for a year,’ said Tom.
‘Happily not,’ said Nat, smiling for the first time. ‘Mr Thompson also decided to step in, and rang the admissions tutor, with the result that Yale have not offered Elliot the chance to reapply.’
‘Good old Thomo,’ said Tom. ‘So what are you planning to do in your year out? Join the Peace Corps?’
‘No, I’m going to spend the year at the University of Connecticut.’
‘Why UConn?’ asked Tom, ‘when you could...’
‘Because it was Rebecca’s first choice.’
12
The president of Yale stared down at a thousand expectant freshmen. In a year’s time, some of them would have found the going too tough and moved on to other universities, while others would have simply given up. Fletcher Davenport and Jimmy Gates sat in the body of the hall and listened intently to every word President Waterman had to say.
‘Do not waste a moment of your time while you are at Yale, or you will regret for the rest of your life not having taken advantage of all this university has to offer. A fool leaves Yale with only a degree, a wise man with enough knowledge to face whatever life throws at him. Seize every opportunity that is offered to you. Do not be frightened of any new challenge, and should you fail, there is no reason to be ashamed. You will learn far more from your mistakes than from your triumphs. Do not be afraid of your destiny. Be afraid of nothing. Challenge every writ, and let it not be said of you, I walked a path but never left an imprint.’
The president of Yale resumed his place after nearly an hour on his feet, and received a prolonged standing ovation. Trent Waterman, who did not approve of such displays, rose and left the stage.
‘I thought you weren’t going to join in the standing ovation?’ said Fletcher to his friend as they filed out of the hall. ‘“Just because everyone else has for the past ten years, doesn’t mean I shall join in the ritual,” if I remember your sentiments correctly.’
‘I admit it, I was wrong,’ said Jimmy. ‘It was even more impressive than my father had assured me it would be.’
‘I feel confident your endorsement will come as a relief to Mr Waterman,’ said Fletcher, as Jimmy spotted a young woman laden with books walking a few paces ahead of them.
‘Seize every opportunity,’ he whispered in Fletcher’s ear. Fletcher wondered whether to stop Jimmy making a complete fool of himself, or just let him find out the hard way.
‘Hi, I’m Jimmy Gates. Would you like me to help you with your books?’
‘What did you have in mind, Mr Gates? Carrying them, or reading them to me?’ replied the woman who didn’t break her stride.
‘I was thinking of carrying them to begin with, and then why don’t we see how it goes from there?’
‘Mr Gates, I have two rules I never break: dating a freshman and dating someone with red hair.’
‘Don’t you think the time has come,’ said Jimmy, ‘to break them both at once? After all, the president did tell us to never be frightened of a new challenge.’
‘Jimmy,’ said Fletcher, ‘I think...’
‘Ah yes, this is my friend Fletcher Davenport, he’s very clever, so he could help you with the reading part.’
‘I don’t think so, Jimmy.’
‘And he’s also very modest, as you can see.’
‘Not a problem you suffer from, Mr Gates.’
‘Certainly not,’ said Jimmy. ‘By the way, what’s your name?’
‘Joanna Palmer.’
‘So you’re obviously not a freshman, Joanna,’ said Jimmy.
‘No, I’m not.’
‘Then you’re the ideal person to help and succour me.’
‘What do you have in mind?’ asked Miss Palmer, as they climbed the steps to Sudler Hall.
‘Why don’t you invite me to supper this evening, and then you can tell me everything I should know about Yale,’ ventured Jimmy just as they came to a halt outside the lecture hall. ‘Hey,’ he said, turning to Fletcher, ‘isn’t this where we’re meant to be?’
‘Yes it is, and I did try to warn you.’
‘Warn me? About what?’ asked Jimmy, as he opened the door for Miss Palmer and followed her into the room, hoping he could sit next to her. The undergraduates immediately stopped talking, which took Jimmy by surprise.
‘I apologize for my friend, Miss Palmer,’ whispered Fletcher, ‘but I can assure you he has a heart of gold.’
‘And the balls to go with it, it would seem,’ Joanna replied. ‘By the way, never let him know, but I was extremely flattered that he thought I might be a freshman.’
Joanna Palmer placed her books on the long desk and turned to face the packed lecture theatre. ‘The French Revolution is the turning point of modern European history,’ she began to a rapt audience. ‘Although America had already removed a monarch,’ she paused, ‘without having to remove his head...’ Her eyes swept the tiered benches as her pupils laughed, before coming to rest on Jimmy Gates. He winked.