me. I get an exhibition! I who had been licked
once a week for bad copies, and had been told by every teacher I had had
anything to do with that I was a hopeless dunce.

"Why not?" said the siren at my side. "You're not a dunce. I can tell
that by the way you picked up some of the Caesar just now. You're lazy,
that's all. That's easily cured."

"But I'd have no chance at Low Heath. Tempest was a dab at lessons."

"He's older than you. Besides, the junior exhibitions are not as hard
to get. When will you be fourteen?"

"July next year."

"Just twelve months. Why not try, Jones? I'll back you up. I've
coached my young brother, and he got into Rugby. You needn't tell any
one--so if you miss nobody will be any the wiser. It will make all the
difference to have an exam, to aim at."

I stared in wonder at Miss Steele. That young woman could have twisted
me round her finger.

"I'll try," said I.

"Not unless you mean to work like a horse," said she.

"All serene," said I; "honour bright."

"Then it's a bargain. Mark my word, we'll pull through."

Whereat we fell hammer and tongs on Exercise Number 1. of the grammar.

CHAPTER FIVE.

A "COACH" DRIVE!

If any one had told me two days ago that it would be reserved to an
assistant teacher in a girls' school to inspire me with an ardent
interest in Latin and arithmetic I should have laughed him to scorn.

Miss Steele, however, succeeded in achieving the impossible. I am bound
to confess that my new-born ardour was not mainly due to affection for
the dead language in question, or even to esteem for my preceptress.
But the idea of taking Low Heath, so to speak, by storm, had fairly
roused my ambition. The glory of rising superior to my fate, of shaking
off the ill-tutored Mr Evans and his works, and rejoining my old
school-comrade with all the prestige of a fellow-exhibitioner,
captivated my imagination and steeled me to the endurance of hardships
of which I had hitherto conceived myself utterly incapable.

Miss Steele had no notion of letting me off my bargain. She procured
particulars of the examinations, and very formidable appeared the list
of subjects as we conned them. Still she was firm in her belief that I
could do it if I only worked, and since her eagerness fully equalled my
own, there was not much chance of my work dropping slack.

If any other incentive was wanted it was the supreme discomfort of my
position at my guardian's off