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."
Mr. Delermain entered, and the class settled down to work; but Ralph
found himself pondering over that prize which was offered. True,
figures were not his strongest point; but then he had a great belief
that any one who sets his mind to a thing can manage to do it in time,
and, somehow, he felt that it would be very nice to take that medal
home and show it to Irene.
So when recess was called, he managed to get hold of Warren and
question him about it.
"The Newlet," explained the monitor. "Well, it certainly is rather
stiff. I suppose that I must go in for it, though I don't think I
shall stand much chance. There will be Philmore and Standish of the
Fifth; I don't know if Elgert will try for it. He thinks no end of his
mathematics, but if you ask me, I think that a crib has a good deal to
do with it."
"A crib?"
"Yes. You know. Don't know what a crib is!" as Ralph shook his head.
"Oh, you sweet innocent, I thought I explained that to you before! It
is a book with all the answers in it----"
"That is cheating," said Ralph. And Warren nodded.
"Of course it is; but it is frequently done, not only for exams,
but for class work. Suppose a fellow is late in--been at cricket or
anything--and he hasn't got time for prep., and don't want to lose his
place, a crib comes in very handy; only some fellows always use 'em,
because they are so lazy----"
"Dobson, for instance," suggested Ralph. But Warren laughed, and shook
his head.
"Bless you, no. He is too lazy even to use a crib. He does not even
pretend to do his lessons; and he is in pretty little danger of losing
his place, seeing that it is always at the bottom of the class."
"Well, I think it mean and dishonourable to use cribs," Ralph declared.
"If I could not manage without that I would not manage at all."
"It is pretty often done," Warren replied. He was not quite guiltless
himself; and he felt a trifle ashamed of Ralph's honest wrath. "I
suppose it is wrong; only a fellow does not think so at the time.
But you were asking about the Newlet. It is stiff, but it is worth
winning----"
"I should like to try for it," murmured Ralph. And the monitor stared.
"You! Well, there is nothing to prevent you from doing so; only you
will have to grind awfully, if you don't crib----"
"I shall not do that," interrupted Ralph firmly. "Once for all, let
that be understood. If I cannot stand a chance without cheating, I will
not go in for it."
"Well, then, it is just grinding, that is all."
"Grinding," repeated Ralph, raising his brows. And Warren laughed again.
"Bless your heart! It is refreshing to find any one as innocent as you
are. Grinding, my dear fellow, is working, swatting, putting in full
time, giving up games and larks and story books, and working on every
moment you have got to spare. It is living on mathematics all the time."
"In plain words, it is working hard," laughed Ralph. "And if a thing is
worth doing, it is worth working well for----"
"Right you are. Go ahead, and good luck. You are letting yourself in
for a nice thing, though; but, I suppose, that if you enter you will
stick it out. Best tell Mr. Delermain; it will please him to have you
enter. He likes his Form well represented, even though we cannot all
win."
Warren was right in that; the master was very pleased when Ralph spoke
to him about it.
"I should like to go in for it, sir," the boy said. "I suppose it seems
rather absurd; but I could try at least, and the study will not do me
any harm."
"Not if it is honest study, Rexworth," replied Mr. Delermain. And those
truthful eyes were raised steadily to his own.
"It will not be anything else, sir," Ralph said. "If I cannot do it
honestly, I shall not do it at all."
"That is the way, Rexworth." Mr. Delermain laid one hand on the boy's
shoulder as he spoke. "And even if you do not win, the work itself is
sure to prove of great use to you later on. By all means enter; and if
you want any assistance or advice, do not hesitate to come to me. I
shall always be very glad to do anything in my power to assist you."
So Ralph put his name down, and some of the boys stared when they heard
it. A new boy, only a week there, putting his name down for the Newlet!
"Cheek!" said Elgert.
"Rubbish!" said Dobson.
"No use!" said a good many; but Ralph paid no heed to it all. One thing
nerved him. Elgert was going in for it; and he felt that if he could
not beat him, it would be strange.
"You will have to work very hard, Ralph," was the verdict of Mr. St.
Clive, when he heard of it. "It is an honour to gain the medal, but it
is an honour that has to be earned by hard work."
"You will try your very best, won't you, Ralph?" pleaded Irene. "I
should just love you to win it, the same as if you were my very own
brother."
Brother! Well, well; Irene and Ralph were but young; perhaps, later on,
it would not be brother, perhaps--who can say?
So Ralph began to undergo that process which Warren called swatting,
or grinding, and it was not all easy. When the day's work was over,
and the boys ran off to their games, or settled down to their story
books--and Ralph loved story books--it was not easy to get out the
dry figures and bend over them, studying tricky sums, or working out
obscure equations; it was not easy, but it had to be done. Ralph was
beginning to understand what work meant.
And Charlton proved himself a good chum in the hour of need, for he was
farther on than Ralph, and could help him in many points. Indeed, Ralph
wondered why he had not entered himself; but Charlton sighed and shook
his head.
"He did not want the worry of it," he said.
Ralph had said nothing more to him concerning his suspicions, but
they were frequently in his mind. He never lost sight of his father's
disappearance. He was for ever keeping his eyes open for anything that
might put him on the right track. But Mr. St. Clive's remark that he
might perhaps be the means of harming a man who had never harmed him or
his, made him very careful about saying or doing anything. Something
was worrying Charlton, that he could plainly see; but since the boy did
not say anything to him, he hesitated to try and force his confidence
in any way.
So he worked with Charlton; and sometimes Warren would pop in and ask
him how he got on, or compare notes with him. And Warren confessed
that he had been influenced by Ralph's words, and that he was working
on what he called "the square," which meant that he was doing without
cribs and keys.
And when particularly knotty points occurred, Ralph would carry his
books away and consult Mr. Delermain; and the master helped, and
advised, and praised him, and spoke very encouragingly of his progress
and his chances.
"There is nothing to beat honest, hard work, Rexworth," he said one
evening, as the lad sat in his room. "What you gain unfairly, you soon
lose; but what you learn honestly, that you hold, and it serves as a
foundation to build other knowledge upon."
"I do not know how to thank you enough, sir," the lad answered, and Mr.
Delermain smiled.
"The fact that I see you working honestly, is more than reward for
me, Rexworth. Now if there is nothing more, run away, for I have some
letters to write."
Ralph rose, and as he did so, in gathering up his books he knocked a
piece of thin paper on to the ground from off the table. He stooped
with an apology and picked it up. He could not help seeing what it
was--a five-pound note--and he handed it to his master, who took it and
placed it on his desk.
"Thank you, Rexworth. Do not forget to come to me at once, if you want
any more help."
Charlton awaited him in their study, and the lad seemed but ill at
ease. He looked at Ralph doubtfully for a while; and, at last, said
timidly--
"Rexworth, I hope that you won't be angry, but could you--that is, I
mean, will you----"
"Out with it, old fellow," laughed Ralph. "Will I what?"
"Lend me some money. I am without any, and I want some----"
"I can lend you ten shillings, if that is any good," answered Ralph
readily. And Charlton beamed.
"Will you? Oh, I am obliged! I will pay you back soon. I shall have a
little money in a few weeks."
"That is all right. Here you are," and Ralph handed him the money, and
turned back to his task again.
[Illustration: "'THAT IS ALL RIGHT. HERE YOU ARE,' AND RALPH HANDED
HIM THE MONEY." p 110.]
But now he could not work. He wondered what Charlton wanted the money
for, and where he was going to get any more to pay him again. Somehow
the sums seemed to get muddled; and he jumped up at last, with an
exclamation of annoyance--
"Bother it! It won't come right! I quite forget how Mr. Delermain
said I was to do it. I will run and ask him again; he won't mind my
bothering him."
He took his book and went out. The corridor leading to the masters'
rooms was rather dark, for the gas had either not been lit, or had been
turned out by some one. Just before the room was reached the corridor
turned sharply to the right, and here it was quite dark. And, as Ralph
turned this corner, he encountered some one, who ran against him with
such force that he almost fell down; and before he could recover from
his surprise, that unseen boy had disappeared round the corner, running
swiftly and silently, as if anxious to escape notice.
Ralph muttered something about clumsy fellows, and picked up his
papers, which had been scattered in all directions. Then he went on to
Mr. Delermain's room, and saw that the door was open, but the room in
darkness. His master had evidently finished his letters and gone.
"I shall have to let it wait until to-morrow," he said. "It's jolly
vexing, just as I was getting on so nicely."
He turned from the door, when a step sounded in the corridor, and a
light glimmered round the corner. Some one was coming. And then a voice
said--
"Why, Rexworth, what are you doing here? You have no business in this
corridor." And Ralph found himself face to face with Dr. Beverly.