“I think it is awfully decent of Bobby to give the money back,” said Dorothy, and then she had to turn her attention to the toast, which was getting black.
“So do I, since I am able to pay you back, and get free of that stupid promise you insisted on,” answered Tom, lazily stretching himself in the deep chair.
Dorothy picked up the two half-crowns and held them out to him. “You can have the money, and I will hold your promise still. Oh, it will be cheap at five shillings. Take it, Tommy lad, and go a bust with it; but I have your promise that you will not gamble, and I am going to keep you up to it.”
“Not this time you are not,” he said, and there was a surly note in his voice. “You worried the promise out of me when I was fair desperate. Now, I have paid the money back, and I will not be bound.”
Dorothy realized the uselessness of urging the point, and pocketed the money. She tried to comfort herself that she would exact the same promise if Tom appealed to her for help again, yet could not help a feeling of disquiet because of the tone he had taken.
It was wild weather when they went back to the Compton Schools. There was deep snow on the ground that was fast being turned into deep slush, and a fierce gale was hurtling through the naked woods.
Dorothy went to work with a will. Indeed, she had contrived to do quite a lot of work during the vacation, and it told immediately on her Form position. Week by week she rose, and when the marks were put on the board at the end of the third week of the term she was at the top of the school.
The girls gave her a great ovation that night; the row they made was fairly stupendous. She was carried in a chair round and round the lecture hall, until the chair, a shaky one, collapsed and let her down on to the enthusiasts who were celebrating her victory, and they all tumbled in a heap together.
The next week she was top again; but now it was Rhoda Fleming who was next below her, and Rhoda was putting her whole strength into the task of beating Dorothy.
The next week was a really fearful struggle. Dorothy worked with might and main; but all along she had the feeling that she was going to be beaten. And beaten she was, for when the marks were put up on the board it was found that Rhoda was top.