matter. I’ll just have to go back to Merrywood, and when I turn fourteen I’ll leave and look for a job.’
10
‘D O YOU FEEL READY to face the examiners, my boy?’ asked Old Jack.
‘As ready as I’m ever likely to be,’ replied Harry. ‘By the way, I took your advice, and checked over the examination papers for the past ten years. You were right, there’s a definite pattern, with some of the same questions coming up at regular intervals.’
‘Good. And how’s your Latin coming on? We can’t afford to fail that, however well we do in your other papers.’
Harry smiled when Old Jack said ‘we’. ‘Thanks to Deakins I managed 69 per cent in mocks last week, even if I did have Hannibal crossing the Andes.’
‘Only about six thousand miles out,’ chuckled Old Jack. ‘So what do you think will be your biggest problem?’
‘The forty boys from St Bede’s who are also taking the exam, not to mention the two hundred and fifty from other schools.’
‘Forget them,’ said Old Jack. ‘If you do what you’re capable of, they won’t be a problem.’
Harry remained silent.
‘So, how’s your voice coming along?’ asked Old Jack, who always changed the subject whenever Harry fell silent.
‘Nothing new to report,’ said Harry. ‘It could be weeks before I know if I’m a tenor, a baritone or a bass, and even then, there’s no guarantee I’ll be any good. One thing’s for certain, BGS aren’t going to offer me a choral scholarship while I’m like a horse with a broken leg.’
‘Snap out of it,’ said Old Jack. ‘It’s not that bad.’
‘It’s worse,’ said Harry. ‘If I was a horse, they’d shoot me and put me out of my misery.’
Old Jack laughed. ‘So when are the exams?’ he asked, even though he knew the answer.
‘Thursday week. We start with general knowledge at nine o’clock, and there are five other papers during the day, ending with English at four.’
‘It’s good that you finish with your favourite subject,’ said Jack.
‘Let’s hope so,’ said Harry. ‘But pray there’s a question on Dickens, because there hasn’t been one for the past three years, which is why I’ve been reading his books after lights out.’
‘Wellington wrote in his memoirs,’ said Old Jack, ‘that the worst moment of any campaign is waiting for the sun to rise on the morning of battle.’
‘I agree with the Iron Duke, which means I won’t be getting much sleep for the next couple of weeks.’
‘All the more reason not to come and see me next Saturday, Harry. You ought to be making better use of your time. In any case, if I remember correctly, it’s your birthday.’
‘How did you know that?’
‘I confess that I didn’t read it on the court page of The Times . But as it fell on the same day last year, I took a gamble and bought a small gift for you.’ He picked up a parcel wrapped in a page from one of last week’s newspapers, and handed it to Harry.
‘Thank you, sir,’ said Harry as he untied the string. He removed the newspaper, opened the small dark blue box and stared in disbelief at the man’s Ingersoll watch he’d last seen in the display cabinet at Mr Deakins’s shop.
‘Thank you,’ Harry repeated as he strapped the watch on his wrist. He couldn’t take his eyes off it for some time, and could only wonder how Old Jack could possibly afford six shillings.
Harry was wide awake long before the sun rose on the morning of the exams. He skipped breakfast in favour of going over some old general knowledge papers, checking capitals against countries from Germany to Brazil, dates of prime ministers from Walpole to Lloyd George, and of monarchs from King Alfred to George V. An hour later he felt ready to face the examiner.
Once again, he was seated in the front row, between Barrington and Deakins. Was this the last time, he wondered. When the clock on the tower struck ten, several masters marched down the rows of desks handing out the general knowledge
10
‘D O YOU FEEL READY to face the examiners, my boy?’ asked Old Jack.
‘As ready as I’m ever likely to be,’ replied Harry. ‘By the way, I took your advice, and checked over the examination papers for the past ten years. You were right, there’s a definite pattern, with some of the same questions coming up at regular intervals.’
‘Good. And how’s your Latin coming on? We can’t afford to fail that, however well we do in your other papers.’
Harry smiled when Old Jack said ‘we’. ‘Thanks to Deakins I managed 69 per cent in mocks last week, even if I did have Hannibal crossing the Andes.’
‘Only about six thousand miles out,’ chuckled Old Jack. ‘So what do you think will be your biggest problem?’
‘The forty boys from St Bede’s who are also taking the exam, not to mention the two hundred and fifty from other schools.’
‘Forget them,’ said Old Jack. ‘If you do what you’re capable of, they won’t be a problem.’
Harry remained silent.
‘So, how’s your voice coming along?’ asked Old Jack, who always changed the subject whenever Harry fell silent.
‘Nothing new to report,’ said Harry. ‘It could be weeks before I know if I’m a tenor, a baritone or a bass, and even then, there’s no guarantee I’ll be any good. One thing’s for certain, BGS aren’t going to offer me a choral scholarship while I’m like a horse with a broken leg.’
‘Snap out of it,’ said Old Jack. ‘It’s not that bad.’
‘It’s worse,’ said Harry. ‘If I was a horse, they’d shoot me and put me out of my misery.’
Old Jack laughed. ‘So when are the exams?’ he asked, even though he knew the answer.
‘Thursday week. We start with general knowledge at nine o’clock, and there are five other papers during the day, ending with English at four.’
‘It’s good that you finish with your favourite subject,’ said Jack.
‘Let’s hope so,’ said Harry. ‘But pray there’s a question on Dickens, because there hasn’t been one for the past three years, which is why I’ve been reading his books after lights out.’
‘Wellington wrote in his memoirs,’ said Old Jack, ‘that the worst moment of any campaign is waiting for the sun to rise on the morning of battle.’
‘I agree with the Iron Duke, which means I won’t be getting much sleep for the next couple of weeks.’
‘All the more reason not to come and see me next Saturday, Harry. You ought to be making better use of your time. In any case, if I remember correctly, it’s your birthday.’
‘How did you know that?’
‘I confess that I didn’t read it on the court page of The Times . But as it fell on the same day last year, I took a gamble and bought a small gift for you.’ He picked up a parcel wrapped in a page from one of last week’s newspapers, and handed it to Harry.
‘Thank you, sir,’ said Harry as he untied the string. He removed the newspaper, opened the small dark blue box and stared in disbelief at the man’s Ingersoll watch he’d last seen in the display cabinet at Mr Deakins’s shop.
‘Thank you,’ Harry repeated as he strapped the watch on his wrist. He couldn’t take his eyes off it for some time, and could only wonder how Old Jack could possibly afford six shillings.
Harry was wide awake long before the sun rose on the morning of the exams. He skipped breakfast in favour of going over some old general knowledge papers, checking capitals against countries from Germany to Brazil, dates of prime ministers from Walpole to Lloyd George, and of monarchs from King Alfred to George V. An hour later he felt ready to face the examiner.
Once again, he was seated in the front row, between Barrington and Deakins. Was this the last time, he wondered. When the clock on the tower struck ten, several masters marched down the rows of desks handing out the general knowledge
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