clerkly race! With what horror and despair, we confronted a "poser"
that was placed to catch us napping:--how we jumped at anything easy!

Taking note of the examiner's watchfulness; the hushed silence that
reigned around, only broken by the scribbling sound of busy workers and
the listless shuffling of the feet of others, who, having, as they
sanguinely thought, completely mastered their tasks, had nothing further
to occupy their time until "the gaudy pageant" should be "o'er"--the
whole thing, really, was school all over again!

I believed, every moment, that I was back again once more in the well-
remembered "B" schoolroom at Queen's--where and when Old Jack,
promenading all in his glory, caused me often to "tremble for fear of
his frown," like that "Sweet Alice," whom Ben Bolt loved and basely
deserted.

To still further carry out the romantic resemblance, we were allowed an
hour at noon for rest and refreshment each day that the examination
lasted.

Many, undoubtedly, devoted this interval steadily to recruiting the
wants of the inner man; but, one could well fancy them bursting off
madly into some boyish game, with all the ardour that their previous
application may have generated--the shouts of the Westminster scholars
in the adjacent yard bearing out the illusion.

_I_ spent my play-hour in wandering through the classic shades of the
Abbey next door, looking over the memorial tablets of "sculptured brass
and monumental marble," erected to the honour of departed worthies:--I
wished, you know, to keep my mind in a properly reflective state for the
afternoon hours of examination--history and other abstruse studies being
usually then set.

A few mad, hair-brained youths, however, I was sorry to observe,
beguiled the interregnum with billiards and beer; but, these, I'm
delighted to add, got handsomely plucked for their pains--as they richly
deserved. You and I, you know, never drink beer or play billiards. Oh,
dear no! Never, on my word!

As all things must come to an end at some time or other, the examination
proved no exception to the rule, duly dragging its weary length along
until it came to a dead stop.

A week afterwards I learnt my fate. I had not passed with the "eclat"
my tutor prophesied; but, I contrived to get numbered amongst those
fortunate six who secured their appointments out of the entire sixty
that competed.

I only got through "by the skin of my teeth," the crammer said; still,
t