too practical a man to
waste time in speculating upon the occult relations of seemingly
disconnected facts. He applied himself with diligence to the work of
preparing John Short to compete for the minor scholarship. The labour was
congenial. He had never taken a pupil so far before, and it was a genuine
delight to him to bring his own real powers into play at last. As the
summer wore on, he predicted all manner of success for John Short, and
his predictions were destined before long to be realised, for John did
all he promised to do and more also. To have succeeded in pushing the
Honourable Cornelius through his entrance examination was a triumph
indeed, but an uninteresting one at best, and one which had no further
consequences. But to be the means of turning out the senior classic of
the University was an honour which would not only greatly increase the
good vicar's reputation but would be to him a source of the keenest
satisfaction during the remainder of his life; moreover the prospects
which would be immediately opened to John in case he obtained such a
brilliant success would be a very material benefit to his unlucky father,
whose talents yielded him but a precarious livelihood and whose pitiable
condition had induced his old schoolfellow to undertake the education of
his son.

Much depended upon John's obtaining one or more scholarships during his
career at college. To a man of inferior talents the vicar would have
suggested that it would be wiser to go to a smaller college than Trinity
where he would have less competition to expect; but as soon as he
realised John's powers, he made up his mind that it would be precisely
where competition was hottest that his pupil would have the greatest
success. He would get something--perhaps his father would make a little
more money--the vicar even dreamed of lending John a small sum--something
would turn up; at all events he must go to the largest college and do
everything in the best possible way. Meanwhile he must work as hard as he
could during the few months remaining before the beginning of his first
term.

Whether the lady ever wrote to Mr. Ambrose, John could not ascertain; she
was never mentioned at the vicarage, and it seemed as though the mystery
were never to be solved. But the impression she had made upon the young
man's mind remained and even gained strength by the working of his
imagination; for he thought of her night and day, treasuring up every
memory of h