t. For was not this speech-day,
and were not Mr and Mrs Herapath and Daisy due by the 9.40 train?

Ever since, a week ago, Arthur had heard that he had run a dead heat for
the Swift Exhibition with Smythe of the School-House, he had not known
which end of him was uppermost. He envied neither Smedley his gold
medal nor Barnworth his Cavendish scholarship. He condoled
patronisingly with Ainger on not having quite beaten the captain of the
school, and virtually hinted to Wake, who had won the first remove into
the Sixth, that, if he cared to come and sit at his feet, he might be
able to put him up to a thing or two for Plumtre medal next Christmas.

Sir Digby was scarcely less elevated; for he had won the Shell History
prize by a deal of tremendous hard work. And as he had never done such
a thing in his life before, he scarcely knew what to make of it.

Fellows told him there must have been an awful shady lot in against him;
but that didn't satisfactorily explain the great mystery. Railsford
told him it was the reward of downright work; and he inclined to think
such was the case himself.

Arthur of course gibed at the idea.

"All gammon," said he. "It's a lucky fluke for you, and I'm glad for
your _mater's_ sake. But I wouldn't say too much about it if I were
you. It'll make the fellows grin."

"Why should they grin at me any more than you?"

"Well, you see, I was in the running for the Swift. They put it down to
me last term, so I was bound to pull it off."

"You only pulled off half of it, you know," said Dig.

Arthur looked not quite pleased at this reference, but laughed it off.

"Oh, of course, I can't object to go halves with young Smythe. If I'd
known he was quite so hot on it, I might have spurted a bit more. But
I'm glad I didn't, poor young beggar. He'd have been precious cut up to
miss it."

"What about that boat on the river?" asked Dig, who did not swallow the
whole of this. "Are you going to buy the front or back half of it?"

"Young Oakshott," said Arthur, with all the dignity of a Swift
exhibitioner, "don't you make a bigger ass of yourself than you can
help."

The term had ended well for Railsford's house. Although restored to
their equal rights with the rest of Grandcourt, the spirit of enterprise
and achievements which had been born during the troubles of last term
survived, and begot an equal spirit in the other houses, who felt their
_prestige_ in danger from the bold chall