Ethel Turner

“ Oh, of course she could not take so unkind an advantage; she herself, quite untroubled by nervousness, would stand up and ask the distinguished visitor if the decision might be deferred till they could write the answers to the questions in some quiet room.
The principal was putting her question—"Are you willing, Chrissie, for this to be the test?"
Again the swift voice whispered. "This is your only chance," it said. "Why shouldn't you take it? She will be certain to win, otherwise; she is clever, you are not—you are entitled to some advantage." ”

“ What was the date of the Great Plague of London?"
Una clenched her hands tightly round the rim of the desk; a page of the history book danced before her eyes—she saw the little picture there of the cart going round for the dead—just underneath it, in black letters, was the date.
"1555," she muttered, and her throat was so dry she had to repeat it to be heard.
"Is that your opinion?" he said, turning to Chrissie.
"1666," said Chrissie mechanically.
"One more," said the visitor. "I find it hard to believe that a girl who has done so well all the year should be ignorant of such common dates. ”

“ Chrissie's face was suffused with guilty pink. "She's red with rage," said Una to herself. Her wildest thoughts never dreamed of the truth—that Chrissie, utterly undone by the seeming coals of fire, had gone to the principal, told her with sobs all the story, and implored her to write to the distinguished visitor and ask him to have the award reconsidered. ”

“ The distinguished visitor said he was afraid Una's knowledge had been lacking in foundation, although she had managed to keep equal with the other girl hitherto.
"See to your groundwork, little girl," was his advice, delivered generally to the back form, for Una had sat down, and a tall, kindly girl in front was sitting very straight to hide her. "You mustn't build a house and think of the decoration only."
Chrissie had gone forward to receive her beautiful prize—a set of all Scott's novels bound in dark green morocco. The room shook with the applause—even the visitors clapped this time. ”

“ This morning, however, the distinguished visitor had sent word to say he wished to recall the decision then arrived at; that, on consideration, he had come to the conclusion that it was not fair to allow the award to be finally made by so slight a test as that one they had had. He sent an examination paper that he had drawn up himself, and he wished the principal to let the two competitors have plenty of time to do it in and a quiet room in which to work.
Una's eyes grew rounder and rounder at the amazing announcement; she could hardly credit what she heard. ”

“ Girls look for more chivalry from their fellows towards themselves than boys, but act towards others with less. Among boys the defeated candidate would have readily acknowledged that it was perfectly fair for his rival to choose the most favourable method for himself. Una could not see this, though, had the positions been reversed, she would have laughed at the idea of foregoing the advantage.
"Mean!" she muttered; "wicked—how could she? She knew. She remembered—I could tell she remembered. Mean, mean, mean of her!"
Upstairs, Chrissie with downcast eyes had received her congratulations. ”

“ Then the distinguished visitor spoke, and he was so very distinguished that everyone listened with deference to his suggestion.
"Let the girls be asked a few dates at the present moment," he said. "Dates are an excellent test of memory, requiring a promptness and power of concentration which a written examination, with ample time for thinking, does not call forth."
The principal said she considered the suggestion a most happy one, and thanked him for showing them so simple a way out of the difficulty. ”

“ The clergyman also agreed that the plan seemed good. "That is," he added, with his kindly smile, "if the little girls themselves are willing to allow the question to be decided in this way. I think, since they have worked so hard, they should be consulted."
"Oh, certainly," said the distinguished visitor; "ask them, by all means."
The principal's eyes went to the near front seat.
"Chrissie," she said, "Mr. Williams wishes to know if you are willing to let this be the test for the prize?"
Away in the back seat Una breathed hard. ”

“ Occasionally a particularly pretty face excited the admiration of the visitors. But twelve to seventeen is a girl's awkward, unbeautiful age, in eight causes out of every ten, and there being no one so entirely conscious of it as the girl herself, for the most part the ceremony was marked by a lack of grace that obtruded itself painfully. ”

“ The longest-living author of this work died in 1958, so this work is in the public domain in countries and areas where the copyright term is the author's life plus 65 years or less. This work may be in the public domain in countries and areas with longer native copyright terms that apply the rule of the shorter term to foreign works. ”