"But how did you get in here, Harry?" began Miss Beauclerc, slipping the locket on her chain. "Has crusty old Williams gone to sleep this evening?" "The bishop brought me in. He has given Williams orders that I am to be admitted here." "Has he? What a glorious fellow! I'll give him ten kisses for that, as I used to do when I was a little girl. And now, pray, what became of you this afternoon? You said you should be in the cloisters." "I know. I could not get out. I was doing Greek with my father." "Doing Greek! It's always that. 'Doing Greek,' or 'doing Latin,' it's nothing else with you everlastingly. What a wretched pedant you'll be, Harry Arkell!" "Never, I hope. But you know I _must_ study; I have only my talents to depend upon for advancement in life; and my father, his heart is set on seeing me a bril--a good scholar." "You are a brilliant scholar already," grumbled Georgina, bringing out the word which his modesty had left unspoken. "There's no reason why you should be at your books morning, noon, and night. I always said Mr. Peter Arkell was a martinet from the first hour he came to drill literature into me. Which he couldn't accomplish." "The school meets in a week or two, you know, and----" "Tiresome young reptiles!" interjected Miss Beauclerc. "We are quieter without them." "And I must make the best use of my holidays for study," continued Henry. "They wish me to get to Oxford early." "Goodness me! you might go now, if that's what you mean; you know enough. Harry, I do hope when you are ordained you'll get some high preferment." "Such luck is not for me, Miss Beauclerc. I may never get beyond a curacy; or at most a minor canonry." "Nonsense, and double nonsense! With the influential friends you may count even now! You know that everybody makes much of you. I should like to see you dean of this cathedral." "And you----" Henry stopped in time. A tempting vision had mentally arisen, and for the moment led him out of himself. Did Georgina scent the treason, all but uttered? She resumed volubly, hastily-- "I have a great mind to tell you something; I think I will. But don't you let it go farther, Henry, for it is a secret as yet. There's going to be a school examination." "No!" exclaimed Henry, some consternation in his tone. "Why! are you afraid of it?" "I am not. But I was thinking how very unfit the school is to stand it. What will Mr. Wilberforce say?" "There's the fun," cried Georgina in glee. "When I heard papa talking of this, I said it would drive the head master's senses upside down. The dean and chapter are going to introduce all sorts of improvements into the school." "What can have set them on to it!" exclaimed Henry, unable to recover his surprise and concern.