with a self-
satisfied air. Those whose numbers agreed with hers announced the fact
with whoops of joy, those who had differed knitted their brows and were
silent. Kathleen looked worried and anxious, and could not think what
she had been about to get "that decimal wrong."

"But it was horrible, wasn't it? The worst we have had."

"The wall-paper was vile," cried another voice indignantly. "_Toujours_
wall-paper! They might have a little originality, and think of
something else. I longed to give Tom's answer!"

"It wasn't really difficult, but tricky! Decidedly tricky!" said Irene,
with an air. She could afford to be superior, for there was no doubt
that she had passed! and passed well. "The square root was absurdly
easy." Then her eye fell on Rhoda, and she asked, kindly enough, "What
did you make it, Rhoda? I hope you got on all right, and feel better."

"Thanks, yes; but I didn't put down my answers. I really can't remember
what they were."

"And a good thing too! You have done your best, so don't worry over it
any more, but come along to lunch!" cried Miss Everett, cheerily; and
the girls obeyed with willing haste, for it was one of the "treats" of
examination time to lunch in a restaurant, and be allowed to order what
one chose.

Rhoda was so much revived by the walk and the joy of knowing the ordeal
over that she was able to eat a morsel of chicken, but the fascinations
of jam puffs had departed for the time being, and she could even look
unmoved at the spectacle of a dozen strawberry ices in a row.

"If every candidate indulges in an ice a day, state accurately the
number of bushels of fruit--" began Dorothy, with her mouth full of
Vanilla biscuit, but she was promptly elbowed into silence; no one being
in the mood for further calculations just then.

For the next four days the examination dragged its weary course, and
Rhoda was carefully nursed and coddled so as to be able to stand the
strain. She was sent to bed immediately on her return from the train;
was not allowed to rise until eight o'clock; was dosed with nurse's pet
tonic, and with Bovril and sandwiches between the papers, and for once
she was sufficiently conscious of past errors to acknowledge that Nature
could not be defied, and to attempt no more four o'clock preparation
classes. On the whole she got through fairly well, growing stronger
each day, and even feeling occasional bursts of exultation at the
conclusion of a paper