"I believe you are trying to be sarcastic, Frost, but it doesn't make any difference; my mind is set on making an example of Merriwell so that the other fellows in his class who follow his lead will be frightened into studying harder."
"Do you then mean that this examination is aimed directly at Merriwell?"
"Not quite so strong as that. There are others, of course, but he's a natural leader, and I don't at all fancy the easy way he takes things, and then bobs up at examinations with enough knowledge to work out his papers."
"I should think," suggested Frost, "that that was all the professors could require of a student."
"That's because you're young!" snapped Babbitt. "You ought to forget that you've been a student——"
"Excuse me, professor, but I think just the contrary. It seems to me that the more an instructor remembers of his student days the better he will be able to get along with his classes."
"All right, then, you stick to your theory, and I'll stick to mine. Meantime, look at this paper; that's what I asked you to call for."
"Is this the examination paper that you're going to set before Merriwell's class?"
"Yes."
There was then a silence of some minutes during which probably Mr. Frost was studying the examination paper. At last he remarked: