Chapter 30
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In the throes of my external inquiries, I maintained my duties of professorship throughout the frigid winter semester.
Following the commencement day, my classroom adopted a state of ease, the previously teeming lecture hall now bereft of its scholars. The enduring few neither bore great passion nor hostility for me; they were the silent note-takers.
Scarcely six souls remained, and of those, only four graced my class with their consistent presence. I harbored a sense of guilt at this sight, a sentiment evidently perceived by one kind-hearted pupil who sought to console me.
"It is often thus, on the inauguration of a term," she asserted, "Thy class is not a lone anomaly."
Yet, following her reassurances, she too vacated my class after the next session. It would appear that my lectures failed to ignite further intrigue.
Far from offering solace, this concern from a significantly younger scholar plunged my heart into deeper despair. My zeal for teaching remained undiminished, but this peculiar predicament impeded the progression of my internal university investigation.
I was fully cognizant of my misaligned priorities. Yet, I could not bear to neglect my professorial obligations. It was not a matter of immature competitiveness, but rather a staunch adherence to duty.
In any event, my initial observations of the students at Oldcourt held true; they were serious in their academic pursuits, challenging me with profound philosophical queries post-lecture.