oaned
inwardly with a sort of prophetic foresight of what was to come.

The Doctor walked up to the desk and unfolded his paper.

Wraysford looked furtively across the room to where his old friend sat.
There was a flush in Oliver's face as he followed the Doctor with his
eyes; he was breathing hard, Wraysford could see, and the corners of his
mouth were working with more than ordinary nervousness.

"Alas!" thought Wraysford, "I don't envy him his thoughts!"

The Doctor began to speak.

"The following are the results of the various examinations held on
Monday. English Literature--maximum number of marks 100. 1st,
Bullinger, 72 marks; 2nd, West, 68; 3rd, Maybury, 51; 4th, Simon, 23.
I'm afraid, Simon, you were a little too venturesome entering for an
examination like this. Your paper was a very poor performance."

Simon groaned and gulped down his astonishment.

"I say," whispered he to Oliver, who sat in front of him, "I know it's a
mistake: you know I wrote five cantos about the Shar--good too. He's
lost that. I say, had I better tell him?"

Oliver vouchsafing no reply, the unfortunate poet merely replied to the
head master's remarks, "Yes, sir," and then subsided, more convinced
than ever that Saint Dominic's was not worthy of him.

"The Mathematical Medal--maximum number of marks 80. 1st, Heath, 65;
2nd, Price, 54; 3rd, Roberts, 53. Heath's answers, I may say, were very
good, and the examiners have specially commended him."

Heath being a Sixth Form man, this information was absolutely without
interest to the Fifth, who wondered why the Doctor should put himself
out of the way to announce it.

"The Nightingale Scholarship."

Ah, now! There was a quick stir, and then a deeper silence than ever as
the Doctor slowly read out, "The maximum number of marks possible, 120.
First, Greenfield, Fifth Form, 112 marks. And I must say I and the
examiners are astonished as well as highly gratified with this really
brilliant performance. Greenfield, I congratulate you as well as your
class-fellows on your success. It does you the very greatest credit!"

A dead silence followed this eulogium. Those who watched Oliver saw his
face first glow, then turn pale, as the Doctor spoke. He kept his eyes
steadily fixed on the paper in the head master's hand, as if waiting for
what was to follow.

The Doctor went on, "Second, Wraysford, Fifth Form, 97 marks, also a
creditable performance."

One or two near Wraysford