Merle slogged away grimly, with
ink-stained fingers and her hair tied tightly back because of the heat.
She had never really taken so much pains over an examination before, and
had never found herself so well prepared. Quite to her surprise her
brains felt clear and collected, and her mental car seemed to whizz along
so fast it quite exceeded the speed limit. No other girl in the form
wrote so many sheets as she did or answered such a large proportion of
the questions. At the end of the week, tired, nervy, and decidedly cross,
she nevertheless felt some satisfaction over the papers she had sent in.
Every one in the Fifth had little doubt about the results, and public
opinion was justified, for Merle came out top in almost every subject,
gaining an average of 91 per cent on the whole exam. She had expected to
do well, but was quite staggered at this success, for Muriel, Iva, and
Nesta, her usual rivals, were left far and away behind. They were
sporting enough to give her their congratulations.
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