or had not endeavoured for these two prizes
remained uncertain. When, presently, the results of the competition
were made known, it was found that in each case the honour had fallen
to a young man hitherto undistinguished. His name was John Edward
Earwaker. Externally he bore a sort of generic resemblance to Peak, for
his face was thin and the fashion of his clothing indicated narrow
means.

'I never heard you mention him,' said Mr. Warricombe, turning to his
son with an air of surprise.

'I scarcely know him at all; he's only in one or two of my classes.
Peak is thick with him.'

The subject of the prize poem was 'Alaric'; that of the essay, 'Trades
Unionism'. So it was probable that John Edward Earwaker did not lack
versatility of intellect.

On the rising of the Professor of Chemistry, Buckland had once more to
subdue signs of expectancy. He knew he had done good papers, but his
confidence in the result was now clouded by a dread of the second
prize--which indeed fell to him, the first being taken by a student of
no account save in this very special subject. Keen was his
mortification; he growled, muttered, shrugged his shoulders nervously.

'If I had foreseen this, you'd never have caught me here,' was his
reply, when Sidwell whispered consolation.

There still remained a chance for him, signalled by the familiar form
of Professor Gale. Geology had been a lifelong study with Martin
Warricombe, and his son pursued it with hereditary aptitude. Sidwell
and her mother exchanged a look of courageous hope; each felt convinced
that the genial Professor could not so far disregard private feeling as
to place Buckland anywhere but at the head of the class.

'The results of the examination are fairly good; I'm afraid I can't say
more than that,' thus rang out Mr. Gale's hearty voice. 'As for the
first two names on my list, I haven't felt justified in placing either
before the other. I have bracketed them, and there will be two prizes.
The names are--Godwin Peak and Buckland Martin Warricombe.'

'He might have mentioned Buckland first,' murmured Mrs. Warricombe,
resentfully.

'He of course gave them out in alphabetical order,' answered her
husband.

'Still, it isn't right that Buckland should come second.'

'That's absurd,' was the good-natured reply.

The lady of course remained unconvinced, and for years she nourished a
pique against Professor Gale, not so much owing to his having bracketed
her son as because