They had gone slowly and carefully through
long division, and would be ready for fractions next term. The recitation
passed off finely. Tip had not studied day and night during the winter
for nothing. He was at the board, working an example in long division; it
was almost finished. The hand of the clock pointed to ten minutes of
twelve. In ten minutes he would be through, and his name would stand on
that honoured list, among those who had not missed one word or made one
mistake during the examination. His hand began to tremble. What was the
matter with that example? Oh, what _was_ the matter? The remainder was
too large; no--it was too small; no--it was--he didn't know what!
Everybody was watching him; he heard a boy laugh softly. He had made a
mistake, then; what was it? where was it? Mr. Burrows' voice came to him,
calm and kind:
"Edward, don't get excited. Look at your remainder closely; take the
first figures of divisor and remainder--nine in thirty-one, how many
times? That will help you."
Ellis Holbrook stood but a step from the blackboard, just behind him.
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