uldn't_ care, anyhow, whether one line could be proved equal to
another or not, I felt it would be much simpler to measure it and have
done with it. It was the same in arithmetic; she took us through
innumerable step-fractions with innumerable steps, just as fast as she
could put the figures down, and all I could do was to stare stupidly at
the blackboard and hope that I might be able to worry some sense out of
it all at home; and she gave us so much home-work that I had to toil
till after ten at night, and then had to leave my sums half done, or
neglect my other work altogether.

I was slow and stupid, I knew, but the others all suffered too, though
not so much, and presently complaints were made by all the other
mistresses that their work was not done, and all the girls had the same
reason to give, the arithmetic took so long.

So Miss Vinton made out a time-table for our prep., and said we were to
leave off when the time was up, whether we'd finished or not. It was a
great relief, my hair was turning grey with the work and worry! But I
did not get on at all with mathematics, and in the end of term exam. I
came out very badly in that and in French.

As most of us had done badly in those subjects our poor madame and the
mathematical mistress did not come back next term.

Miss Vinton gave us mathematics herself, and a splendid teacher she was,
letting some daylight even into my thick head, which was not constructed
for that kind of work, and her sister gave us French, and we really
began to make progress. Some of the girls had done well before, those
who sat near madame and talked to her, but most of us had not learnt
much from her.

Altogether it was with regret that I saw the end of my school-year
drawing near; and I was very anxious to do well in the final exams.

They were to be rather important, as we were to have a university
examiner, and there were two prizes offered by people interested in the
school, one for the best literature paper, and one for the best history.
I _did_ want a prize to take home.

There was great excitement in the school, and we all meant to try our
best. The Fourth and Fifth Forms were to have the same papers, so as to
give the Fourth Form girls a chance for the prize, and Mabel Smith said
she was determined to win that offered for literature.

The exam. week began. Geology, arithmetic, Latin, French, German. We
worked through them all conscientiously but without much enthusiasm.
T