It was as if the youngsters had come into
something new and fine from which their elders were excluded. Of
course it was wrong of the parents to think this, when they should
have been pleased that the children were granted so many advantages
which they themselves had been denied.

The day Jan of Ruffluck visited the school, he and his little Glory
Goldie walked hand in hand, as usual, all the way, like good
friends and comrades; but as soon as they came in sight of the
schoolhouse and Glory Goldie saw the children assembled outside,
she dropped her father's hand and crossed to the other side of the
road. Then, in a moment, she ran off and joined a group of children.

During the examination Jan sat near the teacher's lectern, up among
the School Commissioners and other fine folk. He had to sit there;
otherwise he could not have seen anything of Glory Goldie but the
back of her neck, as she sat in the front row, to the right of the
lectern, where the smaller children were placed. In the old days
Jan would never have gone so far forward; but one who was father to
a little girl like Glory Goldie did not have to regard himself as
the inferior of anybody. Glory Goldie could not have helped seeing
her father from where she sat, yet she never gave him a glance. It
was as if he did not exist for her. On the other hand, Glory
Goldie's gaze was fixed upon her teacher, who was then examining
the older pupils, on the left side of the room. They read from
books, pointed out different countries and cities on the map, and
did sums on the blackboard, and the teacher had no time to look at
the little tots on the right. So it would not have mattered very
much if Glory Goldie had sent her father an occasional side-glance;
but she never so much as turned her head toward him.

However, it was some little comfort to him that all the other
children did likewise. They, too, sat the whole time with their
clear blue eyes fastened on their teacher. The little imps made
believe they understood him when he said something witty or clever;
for then they would nudge each other and giggle.

No doubt it was a surprise to the parents to see how well the
children conducted themselves throughout the examination. But
Sexton Blackie was a remarkable man. He could make them do almost
anything.

As for Jan of Ruffluck, he was beginning to feel embarrassed and
troubled. He no longer knew whether it was his own little girl who
sat there or somebody else's