her dress again with all the haste she could. Three or four of
the precious minutes were lost.

At this point, the door opened and Mr. Strachey strode into the room.
Dr Pughson blinked up from the stacks of papers, rose, and the two
spoke in low tones. Then, with a glance at Laura, they went together to
the door, which Dr Pughson held to behind him, and stood just over the
threshold. As they warmed to their talk, the master let the door slip
into the latch.

Laura could see them from where she sat, without being seen. A moment
later they moved stealthily away, going down the verandah in the
direction of the office.

Now for it! With palsied hands she undid her bodice, clutched at the
book, forced her blurred eyes to find the page, and ran them over it. A
brief survey: five or six heads to remember: a few dates. Flapped to
again; tucked under her apron; shoved into her bosom.

And not a second too soon. There he came, hurrying back. And three
buttons were still undone. But Laura's head was bent over her desk:
though her heart was pummelling her ribs, her pen now ran like
lightning; and by the time the order to stop was given, she had covered
the requisite number of sheets. Afterwards she had adroitly to rid
herself of the book, then to take part--a rather pale-eyed, distracted
part--in the lively technical discussions that ensued; when each
candidate was as long-winded on the theme of her success, or
non-success, as a card-player on his hand at the end of a round.
Directly she could make good her escape, she pleaded a headache,
climbed to her bedroom and stretched herself flat on her bed. She was
through--but at what a cost! She felt quite sore. Her very bones seemed
to hurt her.

Not till she was thoroughly rested, and till she had assured herself
that all risk attaching to the incident was over, did she come to
reflect on the part God had played in the business. And then, it must
be admitted, she found it a sorry one. Just at first, indeed, her
limpid faith was shocked into a reluctance to believe that He had
helped her at all: His manner of doing it would have been so
inexpressibly mean. But, little by little, she dug deeper, and
eventually she reached the [P.265] conclusion that He had given her the
option of this way, throwing it open to her and then standing back and
watching to see what she would do, without so much as raising an eyelid
to influence her decision. In fact, the more she pondered over it, the