The Campus Trilogy Read Online Free PDF Page B

difference?”
    Magnus shook his head. “Pilks lives in a suburban bungalow with his dowdy wife. Bossyboots never married. What do you expect?”
    â€œAre you sure, Magnus? Victoria always tries to be nice to them.”
    â€œYou may be an expert on ethics,” he said, “but you really don’t know anything about people.”
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    The next evening I went to the Acropolis, my club in London. My father had persuaded some friends to propose me while I was still a young lecturer. The price of the subscription was monstrous, but, as I tried to justify it to Victoria, she belonged to the Women’s Institute and it was my only real extravagance.
    I was there to attend the monthly meeting of a small discussion group. The members all belonged to the club and we gathered together first for dinner and then went up to the library where one of us read a paper. That evening the topic was: Astrophysics and the Beginning of the Universe. Most of those who belonged to this venerable group were retired; I was one of the younger members. The speaker, Sir Robert Manson, was the Emeritus Professor of Astronomy at Oxford who had won the Nobel Prize over twenty years ago. After about thirty minutes most were asleep – some snored loudly. By the end I was the only one awake. After our meeting, I went to the drawing room with the Bishop of Bosworth who also belonged to the group. More than thirty years ago we had been postgraduate students together. I had never expected him to rise to such a lofty position in the Church – at Cambridge we had rowed in the same boat, and he had been a jolly, beer-drinking sportsman.
    â€œCharles,” I said, as we sat down in green leather armchairs , “I’ve got a problem.”
    â€œWhat about a drink?” he asked.
    â€œNot for me,” I said. “But go ahead.”
    Charles walked over to the bar and ordered a double whiskey. He returned carrying a dish of olives. “This is rather embarrassing ,” I said. “I’ve been accused of sexual harassment by a student …”
    â€œOh dear,” he said.
    â€œWell, it is bad. But there’s nothing to it. One of my students propositioned me and I ignored her.”
    â€œDear, oh dear,” Charles said, shaking his head. “It could happen to any of us.”
    â€œAnyway, she said I kissed her and tried to fondle her breasts. It’s a complete lie, but of course the university had to have an inquisition about it.”
    â€œAnd what happened?”
    â€œWell, it’s my word against hers, so there’s nothing they can do, but I’m really upset by it.”
    â€œAnd this happened while other people were looking on?”
    â€œDon’t be ridiculous. It was in my office. No one was there except us.”
    â€œNot even the cleaner?”
    â€œNo, Charles. Please be serious. I’ve had a meeting with the Dean and my Head of Department. They want to investigate.”
    â€œNothing to worry about there,” Charles said as he ate his olives. “Similar thing happened to me once. I was a curate. One of my parishioners did much the same. She said she needed pastoral help. Actually what she wanted was an affair. I told her no. She was furious and went to the Bishop. There was an official interview. But there wasn’t any proof. So the whole thing was dropped. But I did get a warning: the Bishop told me never to interview a woman on my own. Rather good advice. I’ve always followed it.”
    â€œSo you don’t think anything will happen?”
    â€œNot in the end … I say, George,” Charles called out to the waiter who was hovering nearby, “can I have another one of these? Sure you won’t join me?” he asked. “That talk rather stultified the brain. I’ve got a meeting of the Mothers’ Union tomorrow, and I’ve got to have a clear head.”
    On the way home from London, I sat near two students from St