So on down the class; Tip's heart meantime beating eagerly, for the twenty-third example was about his troublesome, but by this time very much-beloved sheep.
"Robert ?" said Mr.Burrows, more for form's sake than because he had the slightest doubt about Robert's reply.
"My!" said Bob Turner good-naturedly; "I can't do it." Tip sat next, and something in his face made Mr.Burrows put the question to him, though he had nearly resolved to waste no more time in the matter.
"Can you do this, Edward ?" "Yes, sir," said Tip promptly and proudly, "I can." And no nobler figures or firmer lines did chalk ever make on a blackboard than was made while that troublesome example was being done.
He was roused from his flutter of satisfaction by hearing Mr.
Burrows' voice.
"Do you know anything about the lesson, _any_ of you ?" "I'm sure _I_ don't," answered Bob, still good-naturedly.
Mr.Burrows was growing utterly out of patience; this same scene had been acted too often to be endured longer.

He turned back to the first pages in the book.
"Very well," he said at last; "you may take the first page in addition to-morrow morning, and we'll see if you can be made to know anything about that." Tip's hopes fell; his heart was as heavy as lead.

Not one of the others cared; they were used to it; so indeed was he, only now he was trying, he did so long to go on; just when he was working _so_ hard, to be put away back to the beginning again made him feel utterly disgraced.
"Wait a minute, Tip." Mr.Burrows' eye fell first on him, then on the neatly and correctly worked example; then he turned, and asked, "Charlie Wilcox, on what page is your arithmetic lesson for to-morrow ?" "We commence multiplication, sir," answered Charlie, a bright little boy, who belonged to a bright class, that did not idle over any pages in their work.
"Edward," said Mr.Burrows, turning back to Tip, "you have done well to-day.

You mean to study, after this, I think; I have been watching you for some time.

The third arithmetic class take the first page in multiplication for their next lesson to-morrow; you may take your place in that class, and remain there as long as you can keep up with it." Now Tip was too much astonished to speak or move; his wildest dreams had not taken in promotion, at least not for a long, _long_ time.
Bob Turner leaned over and looked at him in actual sober wonder, that Tip was to be in a higher class.
Not a word did Tip say.