“I promise faithfully that whichever way the prize goes, it shall not alter my friendship for you.”
“And I promise the same, Mac.”
“Shake hands.”
“Will you have a cup of tea? Do.”
“Well, I will, to please you.”
“And now,” said Mac, when tea was finished, “suppose we compare papers.”
“Right; but, Maclean, I tell you to begin with, that when I handed in my work, I thought it was sine errore, but only a few minutes ago I discovered an egregious mistake. So I fear I have little chance.”
The landlady came at Sandie’s summons—there was no bell; he simply knocked on the floor with the heel of his boot. She cleared the table and placed thereon cold water and glasses.
Then those two anxious young men drew near, and first Sandie’s papers were carefully gone over. No mistake but the one could be discovered.
“If you are right,” said Maclean, his hopes going down to zero, “then I’m very far out of my reckoning in many things.”