The first person we saw was Moody Spurgeon sitting on the steps and muttering away to himself.

Jane asked him what on earth he was doing and he said he was repeating the multiplication table over and over to steady his nerves and for pity's sake not to interrupt him, because if he stopped for a moment he got frightened and forgot everything he ever knew, but the multiplication table kept all his facts firmly in their proper place! "When we were assigned to our rooms Miss Stacy had to leave us.

Jane and I sat together and Jane was so composed that I envied her.

No need of the multiplication table for good, steady, sensible Jane! I wondered if I looked as I felt and if they could hear my heart thumping clear across the room.

Then a man came in and began distributing the English examination sheets.