hen came the literature, you could hear the girls hold their breaths as
the papers were given to them.

I read the questions down the first time, and my head spun round so that
I could not understand one.

"This won't do," I said to myself, and set my teeth and clung to my desk
till I steadied down. Then I read them through again.

I found one question I could answer right away, and by the time I had
done that my brain was clear, and I knew the answers to every one.

Alice Thompson was sitting next me, she was one of the pretty dark
girls, and very idle.

"What's the date of Paradise Lost?" she whispered.

I didn't know what to do. I wouldn't speak, and of course I knew that it
was very mean of her to ask, but I was sure of the date, and I thought
it would be mean of me not to tell her. Just then Miss Vinton walked up
the room and glanced round at us.

Alice bent over her work, writing diligently. Miss Vinton went down the
room again, and Alice edged up to me, questioning me with her pretty
dark eyes.

I hesitated, then I pushed the sheet I had just finished close to the
edge of my desk so that she could read the date, which she did quickly
enough. After that she looked over my papers freely whenever Miss Vinton
wasn't looking.

I was rather worried about it, but I didn't think she could win the
prize, for I knew she hadn't worked at the subject at all, and if she
didn't I thought it couldn't matter much to any one.

I had answered all the questions a good while before the time was up, I
thought we had been allowed too long, and was surprised to see Mabel
Smith and one or two more scribbling away for dear life till the last
minute. However, the time was up at last, and we all gave in our papers.

"How did you get on, Margaret?" asked Miss Vinton, smiling kindly at me.

"I think I answered all the questions right," I replied.

"That's good," she said.

The history paper was given us next day, and it filled me with despair.
The questions were so put that short answers were no use, and I was
afraid to trust myself to write down my own ideas. However, after a bit
the ideas began to come, and I quite enjoyed scribbling them down.

Alice had been moved to another desk, so I was left in peace, for
Joyce, who was a friend of mine, was next to me, working away quietly.

I was getting on swimmingly, when all at once the bell rang, and I had
only answered three quarters of the questions.

I _was_ vexed, for I c