suspected what was going on around that table, now
arose, approached and stood respectfully waiting orders.

Mr. Middleton took the thesis from the hands of Walter and placed it in
those of Ishmael, saying:

"Look over that paper and tell me if it is not the first rough draft of
your thesis."

"Yes, sir, it is," admitted the youth, as with embarrassment he received
the paper.

"Have you a fair copy?" inquired Mr. Middleton.

"Yes, sir."

"Where is it? anywhere in reach?"

"It is in the bottom of my desk in the schoolroom, sir."

"Go and fetch it, that we may examine it and fairly test your
abilities," commanded the master.

Ishmael left the drawing-room, and after an absence of a few minutes
returned with a neatly folded paper, which he handed to Mr. Middleton.

That gentleman unfolded and looked at it. A very cursory examination
served to prove the great superiority of this copy over the original
one. Mr. Middleton refolded it, and, looking steadily and almost sternly
into Ishmael's face, inquired:

"Was the rough draft sent to the examiners, instead of this fair copy,
through any inadvertence of yours? Answer me truly."

"No, sir," replied Ishmael, looking down.

"It was done knowingly, then?"

"Yes, sir."

"For what purpose, may I ask you, did you suppress the fair copy, which
most assuredly must have won you the watch, and substitute this rough
draft, that as certainly must have lost it?"

Still looking down, Ishmael remained silent and embarrassed.

"Young man, I command you to reply to me," said the master.

"Sir, I thought I had a right to do as I pleased with my own
composition," replied Ishmael, lifting his head and looking straight
into the face of the questioner, with that modest confidence which
sometimes gained the victory over his shyness.

"Unquestionably; but that is not an answer to my question, as to why the
substitution was made."

"I wish you would not press the question, sir."

"But I do, Ishmael, and I enjoin you to answer it."

"Then, sir, I suppressed the fair copy, and sent up the rough draft,
because I thought there was one who, for his great diligence, had an
equal or better right to the watch than I had, and who would be more
pained by losing it than I should, and I did not wish to enter into
competition with him; for indeed, sir, if I had won the watch from my
friend I should have been more pained by his defeat than pleased at my
own victory," said Ishmael, his