What was the doctor saying?
"A very good performance, both of you; and the result of honest hard work." It was true then?
There was no humbug about it?
Oh, I must write to my mother this very afternoon.
"Warminster, Mr Sharpe's second, 836, good also; Corderoy, Mr Selkirk's, third, 815; Langrish, Mr Sharpe's, fourth, 807; Trimble, Mr Sharpe's, sixth, 796; Purkis, Mr Sharpe's, seventh, 771; Coxhead, Mr Sharpe's, eighth, 734--( Mr Sharpe's boys have worked excellently this term);--Quin, day boy, ninth, 699; Rackstraw, Mr Sharpe's, tenth, 678." And so the list went on.

I was too much lost in the wonder of my own success to appreciate all at once the glorious significance of the whole result.

But as the Philosophers crowded in a little closer on one another, and the friendly nudge went round, it began to dawn on me.
Every one of our men had given a good account of himself, even Coxhead and the "pauper" Rackstraw! Not one of the old gang but was eligible for the club; not one but had done something to "put the day boys and Selkirk's and everybody else to bed," as Langrish said.
"Just like your side," said the latter to me, "trying to make out you'd made a mess of it.

You can only make a mess of it, young Sarah, when you try not to; when you do try you can't do it." And with another thump on the back our excellent secretary gave me to know he bore me no malice, but on the contrary was pleased to favour me with his general approbation.
But more was yet to come.

Compared with the "aggregates," the details of how we had passed each examination were more or less tame, and we were impatient to get on to the senior results.
The middle school had to come first.