"I don't like to do that."

"Why not?"

"It would be an injury to me."

"Why so?"

"It would offend his father, who is a person of wealth and influence.
When Shuffles came to Brockway ten other boys came with him. He was
expelled from another institution, which so incensed his father that he
induced the parents of ten others to take their sons out, and send them
to me. If I expel Shuffles, I shall lose about a dozen of my students,
and I can't afford to do that."

"But must the neighborhood suffer from his depredations?"

"I will talk with the boy; I will keep him in his room for a week."

"I'm afraid the boy needs severer measures. If this were the first, or
even the third time, I would, not say so much."

"My dear sir, what can I do?"

"The boy needs strict discipline. If I were still in the navy, and had
him aboard my ship, I could make a man of him."

"I don't think anything can be done."