were beating hearts and anxious
faces, and noisy summing up of the day's successes or losses, when the
daily close of school proclaimed a truce to the emulous combatants.
A few there were who appeared totally indifferent as to the issue of
the contest, and who hailed the term of examination as entailing no set
tasks to be said the ensuing day under certain penalties, and, revelling
in extended play-hours, cared nothing for disgrace, having no character
to lose.

Reginald bid fair to carry off all, or nearly all, the second-class
honors; still, there were in his class several whose determined
efforts and talents gave him considerable work in winning the battle.

Amongst all this spirited warfare, it is not to be supposed
that Louis was tranquil; for, though naturally of an indolent
temperament, there was in him a fund of latent emulation, which
only wanted a stimulus such as the present to rouse him to action.
Louis was a boy of no mean ability, and now, fired with the hope of
distinguishing himself, and gaining a little honor that might efface
the remembrance of past idleness, and give some pleasure to his dear
parents, he applied himself so diligently and unremittingly to his
studies during the last month, as to astonish his masters.

I do not mean to particularize the subjects for examination given by
Dr. Wilkinson to the two upper classes, for this simple reason, that
my classical and mathematical ignorance might cause mistakes more
amusing to the erudite reader than pleasant to the author. It shall
be sufficient to say, that whatever these subjects had been, the day's
examination had gone through in a manner equally creditable to masters
and pupils; and after a few turns in the fresh air when tea was over,
a knot, comprising the greater part of the above-mentioned classes,
assembled round their head man to congratulate him on his undoubted
successes, and to talk over the events of the day elsewhere. Reginald
and Louis could spare little time for talking, and were walking up and
down the playground, questioning and answering each other with the most
untiring diligence, though both of them had been up since four o'clock
that morning. There were a few who had risen still earlier, and who now
lay fast asleep on forms in the school-room, or endeavored to keep their
eyes open by following the example of our hero and his brother.

"John's fast asleep," said Salisbury, laughing; "he has a capital way
of gaining time--b