win--not only one? One may do one's best, not care whether one is
first or last. That's what our reading to-day said."

"That was against trumpery vanity--false elevation--not what one has
earned for oneself, but getting into other people's places that one
never deserved. That every one despises!"

"Of course! That they do. I say, Norman, didn't you mean Harvey
Anderson?"

Instead of answering, Norman exclaimed, "It is pretension that is
hateful--true excelling is what one's life is for. No, no, I'll
never be beat, Ethel--I never have been beat by any one, except by
you, when you take pains," he added, looking exultingly at his
sister, "and I never will be."

"Oh, Norman!"

"I mean, of course, while I have senses. I would not be like Richard
for all the world."

"Oh, no, no, poor Richard!"

"He is an excellent fellow in everything else," said Norman; "I could
sometimes wish I was more like him--but how he can be so amazingly
slow, I can't imagine. That examination paper he broke down in--I
could have done it as easily as possible."

"I did it all but one question," said Ethel, "but so did he, you
know, and we can't tell whether we should have it done well enough."