"Just like your side," said the latter to me, "trying to make out you'd made a mess of it. You can only make a mess of it, young Sarah, when you try not to; when you do try you can't do it." And with another thump on the back our excellent secretary gave me to know he bore me no malice, but on the contrary was pleased to favour me with his general approbation. But more was yet to come. Compared with the "aggregates," the details of how we had passed each examination were more or less tame, and we were impatient to get on to the senior results. The middle school had to come first. As a rule we were not greatly concerned in them, except as belonging to the division into which some of us would probably be promoted next term. But such as they were, they kept up the credit of Sharpe's. A Selkirker did indeed head the list, but after him a string of four of our fellows followed; after them a day boy, and then two more "Sharpers." More back patting, crowding up, conscious blushes, and congratulations. Then the doctor put down one paper and took up another; and every one knew what was coming. "Upper school," read the doctor in exactly the same voice, as if this announcement were of no more importance than any other. "Aggregate form order--out of a possible 1000 marks, Redwood, captain of the school, and day boy, 902." We were obliged to interrupt a little here. There would not be many more chances of cheering old Redwood, and we couldn't afford to chuck them away. So we cheered, and gave the doctor time to polish up his glasses and take a sip of water. "Your cheers," said he, when at last we had relieved ourselves, "are well-deserved. In addition to this capital result, Redwood takes the Low Heath scholarship to Trinity, where, I almost venture to prophesy, we shall hear even greater things of him some day." More cheers. But we were too impatient to hear what came next to interpose too long a delay. "Tempest, Mr Sharpe's, second, 888; all the more gratifying when we remember the causes which interrupted his school work for a time last term." We fairly gave ourselves away now! Sharpe's had reached the top of the tide with a vengeance. There was an end to all uncertainty as to who would be its captain; and there was the glorious certainty that the captain of Sharpe's would also be captain of Low Heath. Three cheers! Rather. But still we could not, till the rest of the list was read, give ourselves up to cheering for as long as we should have liked. So we allowed the doctor to proceed. "Pridgin, Mr Sharpe's, third, 869--very close." Good old Pridgin! All his discomfort had not been for nothing. He had "taken it out of" Crofter, after all. By how much? "Leslie, Mr Selkirk's, fourth, 832. Wales, Mr Sharpe's, fifth, 801. Crofter, Mr Sharpe's, sixth, 769."