Whether Godwin Peak had or had not endeavoured for these two prizes remained uncertain.  When, presently, the results of the competition were made known, it was found that in each case the honour had fallen to a young man hitherto undistinguished.  His name was John Edward Earwaker.  Externally he bore a sort of generic resemblance to Peak, for his face was thin and the fashion of his clothing indicated narrow means.

‘I never heard you mention him,’ said Mr. Warricombe, turning to his son with an air of surprise.

’I scarcely know him at all; he’s only in one or two of my classes.  Peak is thick with him.’

The subject of the prize poem was ‘Alaric’; that of the essay, ‘Trades Unionism’.  So it was probable that John Edward Earwaker did not lack versatility of intellect.

On the rising of the Professor of Chemistry, Buckland had once more to subdue signs of expectancy.  He knew he had done good papers, but his confidence in the result was now clouded by a dread of the second prize—­which indeed fell to him, the first being taken by a student of no account save in this very special subject.  Keen was his mortification; he growled, muttered, shrugged his shoulders nervously.

‘If I had foreseen this, you’d never have caught me here,’ was his reply, when Sidwell whispered consolation.

There still remained a chance for him, signalled by the familiar form of Professor Gale.  Geology had been a lifelong study with Martin Warricombe, and his son pursued it with hereditary aptitude.  Sidwell and her mother exchanged a look of courageous hope; each felt convinced that the genial Professor could not so far disregard private feeling as to place Buckland anywhere but at the head of the class.

’The results of the examination are fairly good; I’m afraid I can’t say more than that,’ thus rang out Mr. Gale’s hearty voice.  ’As for the first two names on my list, I haven’t felt justified in placing either before the other.  I have bracketed them, and there will be two prizes.  The names are—­Godwin Peak and Buckland Martin Warricombe.’

‘He might have mentioned Buckland first,’ murmured Mrs. Warricombe, resentfully.

‘He of course gave them out in alphabetical order,’ answered her husband.

‘Still, it isn’t right that Buckland should come second.’

‘That’s absurd,’ was the good-natured reply.

The lady of course remained unconvinced, and for years she nourished a pique against Professor Gale, not so much owing to his having bracketed her son as because the letter P has alphabetical precedence of W.