"Yes, it is. He"s naturally bright, and by a very little attention to his lessons he"s able to get marks that enable him to pa.s.s along with fair standing, while most of his time is given to anything but work. It isn"t right that anybody should get through Yale so easily; it"s bad for the rest of the students."
"I have an idea," said Frost, quietly, "that Merriwell"s example isn"t regarded as a bad one by other members of the faculty."
"Ah, you"re just as bad as the students themselves in your fondness for that scamp!" exclaimed Babbitt. "He seems to fascinate everybody he meets except me."
"Yes, I think you"re an exception."
"I believe you are trying to be sarcastic, Frost, but it doesn"t make any difference; my mind is set on making an example of Merriwell so that the other fellows in his cla.s.s who follow his lead will be frightened into studying harder."
"Do you then mean that this examination is aimed directly at Merriwell?"
"Not quite so strong as that. There are others, of course, but he"s a natural leader, and I don"t at all fancy the easy way he takes things, and then bobs up at examinations with enough knowledge to work out his papers."
"I should think," suggested Frost, "that that was all the professors could require of a student."
"That"s because you"re young!" snapped Babbitt. "You ought to forget that you"ve been a student----"
"Excuse me, professor, but I think just the contrary. It seems to me that the more an instructor remembers of his student days the better he will be able to get along with his cla.s.ses."
"All right, then, you stick to your theory, and I"ll stick to mine.
Meantime, look at this paper; that"s what I asked you to call for."
"Is this the examination paper that you"re going to set before Merriwell"s cla.s.s?"
"Yes."
There was then a silence of some minutes during which probably Mr. Frost was studying the examination paper. At last he remarked:
"Well, I"ve looked it through."
"What do you think of it?" asked Babbitt.
"Do you want my honest opinion?"
"Of course I do! Why else should I get you up here?"
After a slight pause Mr. Frost said: "It seems to me that the examination is very one-sided."
"Eh?"
"Why, it is all aimed at a certain line of work, and doesn"t cover anything like all the work done in the course of the year."
"Well, I have my reason for that!"
"I supposed so."
"I know that fellow Merriwell"s weakness; I know just where he"s likely to be faulty, and if he can pa.s.s that paper he"ll do better than I think he can."
"Why, Prof. Babbitt," exclaimed Frost in an indignant tone, "it looks as if you were purposely trying to trip Merriwell so as to get him disciplined, or dropped!"
"The faculty can do with him what it likes," remarked Babbitt, crossly, "when I"ve handed in the marks on this paper."
"I must say it doesn"t seem to me to be fair," said Frost.
"I don"t care for any opinion of that kind," retorted Babbitt.
"Then I don"t see why you asked me for any at all."
"Well, well," and Babbitt seemed to be struggling with his temper, "you and I won"t dispute about it. You"ve got your work and I"ve got mine. I asked you about this paper because I thought you"d sympathize with me in my design."
"I can"t sympathize with you in it, Prof. Babbitt, and I wish if you"re going to give an examination that you would give one of the usual kind, including in the questions, problems that cover the entire year"s work, and so get an idea----"
"The idea I want to get will come from the answers to these questions, Frost."
"Then I suppose I couldn"t persuade you to make up another paper?"
"No, sir; I"m going to take this to the printer at once, and by to-morrow morning the copies will all be here in my room, where I shall keep them until the hour for the examination."
"I"m sorry you told me about it," said Frost.
"Why?"
"Because I think well of Merriwell and the others----"
"I suppose you"d like to warn them of what"s coming."
"Prof. Babbitt!"
Frost spoke in a loud tone; he was evidently very angry.
"Oh, well," exclaimed Babbitt, "don"t fly in a rage at that suggestion; of course I know that you won"t betray any secrets of the faculty. I simply said that I supposed you"d like to warn that rascal, Merriwell."
"You"ve no right to think even as much as that!" returned Frost, "but you may be very sure that whatever I wish to do I shall not expose the questions on that paper. Good-day, sir."
"Good-day," said Babbitt, and immediately afterward there was a slamming of a door.
Then Frank heard the professor grumbling to himself, but what he said could not be made out. A little later there was the sound of a door opening and closing again. Prof. Babbitt had doubtless started to the printer"s with the examination paper.
Frank then resumed his trip up the chimney. He had heard no sound from Page"s room, and he was just as determined as before to turn the joke upon his cla.s.smate.
As he pa.s.sed the level of Prof. Babbitt"s room he saw that the fireplace of the chimney had been closed in the same way as in Page"s room, but in this case the door was not a secret one, and at the moment it stood partly open. This was what enabled him to hear so plainly the conversation between the instructors.
When he came to the chimney top he squeezed through without much difficulty, and dropped out upon the roof.
The next question was as to getting down to the street, but to an athlete like Frank, there was little difficulty in that problem.
New Haven is often called the City of Elms. There were a number of these and other trees growing about, and one of them extended its branches toward the roof of this house in such a way that Frank could grasp it.