d, experienced woman, who was easily
softened, who had always the greatest difficulty to keep from being
sympathetic, "that would be a great deal worse than merely being turned
back in your examinations, though Dr. Millar is not rich, and there may
be obstacles--I sincerely trust they will not be insurmountable--to your
coming back in the autumn, to work with a will and at the same time with
moderation."

Poor May did not work herself into a brain fever, but she did in
other respects exactly as Miss Lascelles--a woman who understood
the position--had clearly foreseen. May succeeded in fretting, and
worrying, and getting herself into a state of nervous agitation.
Her brain, or that part of it which had to do with grammatical
declensions, derivations, rules, and principles, became a complete
muddle, so that in place of taking in new information, it seemed to
be rapidly letting go the old which it had once held securely.

Before the eventful day of May's examination, she had lost the last
shred of hope, and so had all who had heard her or formed a correct
estimate of the contents of her papers, of her crossing the rubicon. Of
her own accord she sorrowfully refrained from making any move to enter
the lists for the scholarship.

It is the fashion at St. Ambrose's not to issue the result of the
examinations for a considerable number of weeks, during which the
unhappy candidates hang on the tenterhooks of expectation. A looker-on
is inclined to consider this a refinement of cruelty till he or she has
taken into consideration that the motive of the protracted suspense is
to suit the convenience and lessen the arduous labours of the toil-worn
professors and tutors who serve as examiners.

But in May Millar's case her failure was such a foregone conclusion, was
so remedial by reason of her youth, and so qualified by the share she
had taken in the Greek play, that a point was stretched for her, and she
was privately put out of pain at once. Latterly May had not entertained
the slightest expectation of any other sentence, yet the blow fell so
heavily upon her that it was well it was the end of the term.

To do Thirlwall Hall no more than justice, everybody was sorry for
their youngest, gentlest, prettiest, most inspired, and withal most
inoffensive and obliging student. Miss Lascelles took May into her
private sitting-room and recklessly lavished the few moments the lady
principal had in which to rest and recruit from the fati