forgotten half even of what I did know. I was going
over some of those brutal Roman History dates in bed last night, for
instance, and I positively couldn't remember one. Then I tried the map
of Greece, but I was still worse there; I couldn't remember where one
single place was except Athens and Corinth, and I'm sure I used to be
pretty well up in that."

"I expect you were half asleep at the time," suggested his friend.

"No, I wasn't; I couldn't sleep a wink. I say, Wray, _wouldn't_ it be
jolly if we only knew now what the questions are going to be on Monday?"

"Why don't you go and ask the Doctor?" said Wraysford, laughing; "he'd
be delighted to tell you."

"What a humbug you are, Wray! I say, suppose we shut up work now and
have a turn on the river. I'm certain it will do us more good than
cracking our skulls here."

"Just what I had been thinking. I'm game, and it can't make much
difference."

"I suppose Loman is grinding up to the last?"

"I suppose so; I was almost in hopes he wouldn't keep it up."

"Never mind, it will all be over on Monday; that's a comfort! Come
along, old man. Suppose we get young Stee to cox us up to the lock and
back."

Hue and cry was forthwith made for Stephen, but he was not to be found.
He was out, Paul said; at the post, or somewhere.

"Oh, all right; you can come and cox us yourself, youngster," said
Wraysford.

"Cox you!" exclaimed Paul; "why, ain't the Nightingale exam coming on,
then, on Monday?"

"Of course it is!"

"And you two going out to row! I say, the Sixth will win it if you
don't look-out!" said Paul, in a very concerned voice.

It was quite a revelation to the two boys to discover how great was the
interest taken by outsiders in the coming event. Paul was in a great
state of alarm, and was actually inclined to refuse to aid and abet what
he imagined to be a wicked waste of precious opportunity, until, putting
his head into Loman's study, he found that the Sixth Form fellow was
also not at work.

When Oliver and Wraysford appeared in boating flannels in the playground
they created as much sensation as if they had been ghosts.

"You don't mean to say you're going out, you fellows?" exclaimed
Ricketts, one of the idle ones of the Fifth.

"Yes, I do," said Wraysford.

"But the Nightingale, I say?"

"That's not till Monday."

"I know; but aren't you grinding for it? I say, don't let them beat
you! Hadn't you better work instead of going