The Water Nymph

The Water NymphJohn Collier SpringPriestess of Delphi
Never mind," I said. "Look: you and Pete have ended your quarrel. Re-defect! Tell your stepfather his confession was selfish: he wants them to kill him so he won't have to kill himself. Then tell himthat's all right! Do you see?"
"George!" Leonid's forehead wrinkled above the bandage. "Passness of me, that's nothing! Even Classmate X, I love so, that's nothing to pass! But the self of Studentness --He matters! And you teach me He's flunkèd selfish! How He's pass?"
"Probably He can't," I said. "Try and see."
Red tears oozed into his bandage. "Failure is Passage, yes? No?"
I clapped him on the shoulder; the handcuff fell from his wrist.
"See here, now!" Stoker protested.
"Da!"Leonid cried. "Tomorrow, after Max: redefectness!"
"I'll take you to Founder's Hill," Peter Greene said, suddenly determined. "Look here: we'll meet my daughter at the Pedal Inn and stay the night; tomorrow we'll go to the Shafting together, for old Doc Spielman's sake."
"The flunk you will!" Stoker said. "You stay where you are!"
I took Greene's hand. "What then, Pete?"
He swallowed a number of times. "I got right smart of work to do back