ways is not as scholarly as you are,
Florence, but she is very plodding and persevering, and as a rule gets
to the head of her class. Mary is neither rich nor poor, but she would
be very glad of the Scholarship, and says that it would give her father
and mother great happiness if she obtained it; so you see, dear, you
three girls are to work for the same goal--it is almost as important to
one of you as to another. I want you therefore to be perfectly fair in
your dealings each with the other, and to try to keep envy and all
ill-feeling out of your hearts. The one who wins this great generous
offer of Sir John Wallis must not think more highly of herself than she
ought, and those who lose must bear their loss with resignation,
feeling that they have acquired a great deal of knowledge, even if they
have not acquired anything else, and trying to rejoice in the success
of the one who has succeeded. The next few months until October will
be a time of strain, and I hope my dear girls will be equal to the
occasion."

Florence got very red while Mrs. Clavering was speaking to her.
"Sometimes----" she said, in a low voice, and then she paused and her
tone faltered.

"What is it, Florence?"

"Sometimes I heartily wish that Sir John had not put this great thing
in my way. Last term I was poor and had shabby clothes, and no one
thought a great deal of me, but in some ways I feel less happy now than
I did last term. Last term, for instance, I was very fond of Kitty
Sharston and I liked Mary Bateman, but there are moments now when I
almost hate both of them."

"It is brave of you to confess all this, Florence, and I think none the
worse of you for doing so, and if you pray against this feeling it will
not increase, dear. Now go away and prepare for your French paper. By
the way, a special master is coming twice a week now to coach all three
of you. This has been done by Sir John Wallis's orders. Go away now,
dear, and work."

The one great subject of conversation in the school was the Cherry
Court Scholarship, and the lucky three were looked upon with wonder and
a little envy by their less fortunate companions, for their privileges
were so great and the goal set before them so high. For instance, Mrs.
Clavering had so contrived matters that the three could work at their
special Scholarship studies in the oak parlor. She had given each girl
a desk with a lock and key, where she could keep her different themes
and ex