CHAPTER VII.

School Examination-Merlin's Eggs-Golden Plover's NestStonechat's, Whinchat's, Common and Mountain-Linnet's Nests-Corn Crake's, Whitethroat's, Longtailed Tomtit's, and Willow Wren's Nests.

THE Occasion for their next walk presented itself much sooner than they had any reason to expect. When the school was next assembled, after their return from the excursion recorded in the last chapter, in the course, that is, of the same evening, Dr. Noble informed the boys publicly that he had that day received formal notice from the Visitors of Elmdon Grammar Schoolnamely, the Bishop of the diocese and Dr. Healy, the master of St. Hilda's Hall-that they purposed to pay their annual visit of examination on the following Monday.

"We have but short notice this time, my boys," said the doctor in conclusion, "but I have no fear that you will not acquit yourselves well; and I don't believe that many of you would care to have much more time for special preparation."

As he passed Bob in the school-yard, a few

minutes afterwards (the school having just been dismissed for the evening), Dr. Noble said to him

"I think the bird's eggs haven't interfered with the Latin and Greek; have they, Benson?" "I hope not, sir. I think I like I think I like my work very well, and I haven't lost any places in class."

"No, indeed you have not; and I think at the end of the half-year you will gain several steps. You have given me much satisfaction, Benson, by your general attention and good conduct, as well as by your progress." And then turning to our friend Jack, who had come up as he addressed these last words to Bob, he said—

"You have done very well too, on the whole, and your general conduct I am thoroughly pleased with. You can't do better than-what I am very glad to see you so well disposed to domake a friend of your cousin."

Passing on, he left the two lads deeply gratified with his kind notice and commendation, and determining they would do their best to deserve it.

"I say, Jack," said Bob, after a few seconds, "we mustn't do the worst on Monday."

"No fear of that, Bob. I only wish I could do as well as you."

Well, the days passed on. Bob and Jack both spent the greater part of their playtime—and

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many others of their schoolfellows in the higher forms did the same—in rubbing up anything they thought had got rusty in their school work, and making themselves safe in what they considered doubtful places; and it was remarkable how much Bob, who, to the best of his ability, applied his principle of knowing "what he was going to do, and what he was going to do it for," to his work, had succeeded in getting done; for there were but few points in which he found necessity to begin, as if upon something still rather new and strange.

SCHOOL EXAMINATION.

Monday came at last, and punctually at a quarterpast nine the Bishop and Dr. Healy were ushered into the school; and in a few minutes a real, honest examination commenced, the visitors confining their attention principally to the performances of the three upper classes, and giving comparatively casual observation to the examination of the lower ones, which went on under the immediate superintendence of the Rector of Elmdon— who was, in compliance with the statutes, always requested to be present on the occasion-and the head-master himself. Our friend Bob was specially noticed by the Visitors, not for his brilliancy or any shining scholarship, but for his general accuracy and the readiness with which he produced the results of his reading, or his recollections of what he had learnt in class. They inquired particularly

of the Doctor who he was, after they had left the school, and what were his characteristics; was he not a very attentive and diligent scholar?

Dr. Noble, in his answer, said that Benson was a very promising boy. Attentive he was certainly, and diligent too in the hours allotted to study; but if the inquirer meant, as he rather supposed he did, out of hours-Dr. Healy here assentedcertainly not. No boy in the school entered more heartily into all the games, particularly the athletic ones; or more seemed to enjoy them. And then he just glanced at Bob's predilection for natural history, and his rambles in pursuit of this or that object of interest. The secret of his success, he said, was in his energy, and perseverance, and method. Whatever he undertook he put his heart into it. What he did he " did it with his might," said the Doctor, making the allusion reverently. If it were cricket or football, or the acquisition of a new egg, or the capture of a basket of fish; the mastery of a new rule in arithmetic or algebra, or of a problem more difficult than usual; or the complete comprehension of the scope and intention of a passage in his Latin or Greek, the same method, and determination, and perseverance were always brought into play. "He will lead the school," concluded the Doctor, "if he remains here two or three years more. He is very popular

SCHOOL EXAMINATION.

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already among his equals in age, and even among some of his seniors. And if God spares his life, he will make not only a rising-but much more than that-a useful man."

Jack came in for no especial notice; but before leaving the school, the Bishop, in a few plain but forcible words, told the boys that the Visitors were quite satisfied with the results of their examination; that in their opinion the school more than maintained its position; and while they, the Visitors, could not but give the scholars credit for their evident efforts to avail themselves heartily of the opportunities for improvement placed within their reach, they could not themselves shut their eyes upon the fact, and it was right that the scholars should know their opinion-the speaker said he did not doubt they all felt the same thing themselves-that in the careful and conscientious superintendence and instructions of their Headmaster, the scholars of Elmdon school enjoyed an advantage not easily to be overrated. He had only further to say, that, with Dr. Noble's permission, there would be, in accordance with immemorial custom, a holiday for the remainder of the day. The hearty cheers which resounded from 180 young throats as he ceased speaking, and which had almost broken out when Dr. Noble's name was mentioned, were a sufficient proof that