"Lord Elgert," answered Ralph fearlessly, "you may mean that kindly or you may not. I neither know nor care. It is your advice, but it is advice which I shall not take. I have something to do here. I have to find out what has become of my father, and I have to prove that your accusation that he is a thief is not true. I am only a boy, Lord Elgert, and you may laugh at me, but I know that I shall succeed presently, and when I do perhaps I may also learn the reason for your disliking me so much." "What do you mean by that?" shouted Lord Elgert angrily. And Ralph replied-- "Just what I say!" Then he turned and asked the doctor if he wanted him any more. And receiving permission to go, he went back to his class; while Lord Elgert rode homewards, with black looks and frowning brow. CHAPTER XI GOING IN FOR GRINDING "Boys, I have an announcement to make." The whole school were gathered for the usual morning prayers, the masters each at the head of his class; and when the reading was over, the doctor, instead of dismissing them to their classes as usual, still stood at his desk, and the boys looked up eagerly. Was it a holiday, or a challenge from some neighbouring school to a football match? Alas, for such hopes! It was neither the one nor the other. It was something which only interested a very few of the most industrious there. "The Newlet gold medal examination for mathematics will be held in a month's time from now; and it will be needful for intending competitors to hand in their names to their masters at once. I trust that the school will be well represented at the examination. We lost the medal last year, though we had a very good average; but the year before that, Kesterway, who was then only in the Fourth, gained it. That debars him from again trying for it; but I hope that others will enter the field, and do as well as he did. The second and third boys gain silver medals. That is all. Dismiss to your classes." "I say, Dobby, there is a chance for you to distinguish yourself," whispered one boy in the lazy one's ear, as the Fourth trooped away. And Dobson glared, for of all things, mathematics was his weak point. "Dobson cannot do it," laughed Warren, overhearing the words. "His system of mathematics is erratic. When it comes to eating tarts at some one else's expense, it is wonderful how many he can take without counting them up; but if he has to treat--well, one multiplies itself into twenty." "You shut up," growled Dobson. "I never had tarts at your expense." "No, my son, and you never will," laughed Warren. "Hurry up and take your place. You know where it is--top wrong end."