"I wish I had had a little more time," I said to Miss Vinton, as I gave in my work.
"You had as much as the rest," she answered, rather sharply, and I went away feeling sad and snubbed.
The exams. were over, and we were to know the result next day.
I don't think any of us wanted that extra half hour in bed in the morning, which generally seemed so desirable; and we were all waiting in the cloak-room—a chattering throng, for discipline was relaxed on this occasion. When the school-bell rang, and we hurried in to take our places, Miss Vinton made us a speech, saying that the general results of the examinations had been very satisfactory. Our term's work had been on the whole good.
We could hardly listen to these general remarks when we were longing for particulars. At last they came:
Alice Thompson was awarded the literature prize. Her work was so very accurate, and her paper so well written.
There was a silence of astonishment.
Alice turned scarlet. I felt horrified to think what mischief I had done by being so weak-minded as to let her copy my work. Mabel Smith was white. But Miss Vinton went on calmly:
"Mabel Smith comes next. Her paper was exceptionally well written, but there were a few blunders which placed it below Alice's."
Then came Nelly, Joyce, and the rest of the Fifth Form, and one or two of the Fourth—and I began to get over the shock of Alice's success and to wonder what had happened to me. At last my name came with just half marks.