He contented himself with burying his face in his hands and hoping for the noon hour.
Once, lifting his eyes to the clock, he caught Bessie looking anxiously at him across the room from the girls' side.

This but added to his discomfort.
Why was she bothering him?
No need for her to trouble.

She was bound to pass.

Then why could n't she leave him alone?
So he gave her a particularly glowering look and buried his face in his hands again.

Nor did he lift it till the twelve-o'clock gong rang, when he handed in a second blank paper and passed out with the boys.
Fred and Charley and he usually ate lunch in a corner of the yard which they had arrogated to themselves; but this day, by some remarkable coincidence, a score of other boys had elected to eat their lunches on the same spot.