A Slip under the Microscope by H.G. Wells
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a thick section, and in_the afternoon came the mysterious slip .

it_was just the kind of thing that_the botanical professor was always doing . like the income tax, it offered a premium to_the cheat . it_was a preparation under the microscope, a little glass slip, held in its place on_the stage of_the instrument by light steel clips, and_the inscription set forth that_the slip was not to_be moved . each student was to_go in turn to_it, sketch it, write in_his book of answers what he considered it to_be, and return to_his place . now, to move such a slip is a thing one can do by a chance movement of_the finger, and in a fraction of a second . the professor's reason for decreeing that_the slip should_not_be moved depended on_the fact that_the object he_wanted identified was characteristic of a certain tree stem . in_the position in_which it_was placed it_was a difficult thing to recognise, but once the slip was moved so as_to bring other parts of_the preparation into view, its nature was obvious enough .

hill came to_this, flushed from a contest with staining re-agents, sat down on_the little stool before_the microscope, turned the mirror to_get the best light, and then, out of sheer habit, shifted the slips . at once he remembered the prohibition, and, with an almost continuous motion of_his hands, moved it back, and sat paralysed with astonishment at his action .

then, slowly, he turned his head . the professor was out_of_the room; the demonstrator sat aloft on_his impromptu rostrum, reading the Q .Jour .Mi .Sci .; the rest of_the examinees were busy, and with their backs to him . should he own up_to_the accident now ? he_knew quite clearly what the thing was . it_was alenticel, a characteristic preparation from_the elder- tree . his eyes roved over his intent fellow-students, and Wedderburn suddenly glanced over his shoulder at him with a queer expression in_his eyes . the mental excitement that had kept hill at an abnormal pitch of vigour these two days gave way to a curious nervous tension . his book of answers was beside him . he_did_not write down what the thing was, but with one eye at_the microscope he began making a hasty sketch of it . his mind was full of_this grotesque puzzle in ethics that had suddenly been sprung upon him . should he identify it ? or should he leave this question unanswered ? in_that case Wedderburn would probably come out first in_the second result . how could he tell now whether he_might_not have identified the thing without shifting it ? it_was possible that Wedderburn had failed to recognise it, of_course . suppose Wedderburn too had shifted the slide ? he looked up at_the clock . there were fifteen minutes in_which to_make up his mind . he gathered up his book of answers and_the coloured pencils he used in illustrating his replies and walked back to_his seat .

he read through his manuscript, and then sat thinking and gnawing his knuckle . it would look queer now if he owned up . he_must beat Wedderburn . he forgot the examples of_those starry gentlemen, John Burns and Bradlaugh . besides, he reflected, the glimpse of_the rest of_the slip he had had was, after all, quite accidental, forced upon him by chance, a kind of providential revelation rather than an unfair advantage . it_was not nearly so dishonest to avail himself of_that as it_was of Broome, who believed in_the efficacy of prayer, to pray daily for a first- class ."Five minutes more," said the demonstrator, folding up his paper and becoming observant . hill watched the clock hands until two minutes remained; then he opened the book of answers, and, with hot ears and an affectation of ease, gave his drawing of_the lenticel its name .

when_the second pass list appeared, the previous positions of Wedderburn and hill were reversed, and_the spectacled girl in green, who knew the demonstrator in private life ( where he_was practically human), said that in_the result of_the two examinations taken together hill had the advantage of a mark--167 to 166 out of a possible 200 . everyone admired hill in a way, though the suspicion of " mugging" clung to him . but hill was to_find congratulations and miss Haysman's enhanced opinion of him, and even the decided decline in_the crest of Wedderburn, tainted by an unhappy memory . he_felt a remarkable access of energy at first, and_the note of a democracy marching to triumph returned to_his debating- society speeches; he worked at his comparative anatomy with tremendous zeal and effect, and he went on with_his aesthetic education . but through it all, a vivid little picture was continually coming before his mind's eye-- of asneakish person manipulating a slide .

no human being had witnessed the act, and he_was cocksure that no higher power existed to_see, it; but for all that_it worried him .Memories are_not dead things but alive; they dwindle in disuse, but they harden and develop in all sorts of queer ways if_they_are being continually fretted . curiously enough, though at_the_time he perceived clearly that_the shifting was accidental, as_the days wore on, his memory became confused about_it, until at last he_was not sure-- although he assured himself that he_was sure-- whether the movement had_been absolutely involuntary . then it_is possible that hill's dietary was conducive to morbid conscientiousness; a breakfast frequently eaten in a hurry, a midday bun, and, at such hours after five as chanced to_be convenient, such meat as his means determined, usually in a chop- house in a back street off the Brompton road . occasionally he treated himself to threepenny or ninepenny classics, and_they usually represented a suppression of potatoes or chops . it_is indisputable that outbreaks of self- abasement and emotional revival have a distinct relation to periods of scarcity . but apart from_this influence on_the feelings, there_was in hill a distinct aversion to falsity that_the blasphemous Landport cobbler had inculcated by strap and tongue from_his earliest years . of one fact about professed atheists I_am convinced; they_may_be-- they usually are--fools, void of subtlety, revilers of holy institutions, brutal speakers, and mischievous knaves, but they lie with difficulty . if_it were_not so, if_they had the faintest grasp of_the idea of compromise, they_would simply be liberal churchmen . and, moreover, this memory poisoned his regard for miss Haysman . for she now so evidently preferred him to Wedderburn that he_felt sure he cared for her, and began reciprocating her attentions by timid marks of personal regard; at one_time he even bought a bunch of violets, carried it about in_his pocket, and produced it, with astumbling explanation, withered and dead, in_the gallery of old iron . it poisoned, too, the denunciation of capitalist dishonesty that had_been one of_his life's pleasures . and, lastly, it poisoned his triumph in Wedderburn .Previously he had_been Wedderburn's superior in_his own eyes, and had raged simply at a want of recognition . now he began to fret at_the darker suspicion of positive inferiority . he fancied he_found justifications for_his position in Browning, but they vanished on analysis . at last-- moved, curiously enough, by exactly the same motive forces that had resulted in_his dishonesty-- he went to professor Bindon, and made a clean breast of_the whole affair . as hill was a paid student, professor Bindon did_not ask him to sit down, and he stood before_the professor's desk as he_made his confession .

" it's a curious story," said professor Bindon, slowly realising how the thing reflected on himself, and then letting his anger rise,--"a most remarkable story . I_can't understand your doing it, and I_can't understand this avowal . you're a type of student--Cambridge men would never dream--I suppose I ought_to_have thought-- why did you cheat ? "

"I didn't cheat," said hill .

" but you_have just been telling me you_did ."

" i_thought I explained--"

" either you cheated or you_did_not cheat ."

" I_said my motion was involuntary ."

" I_am not a metaphysician, I_am a servant of science-- of fact . you were told not to move the slip . you_did move the slip . if that_is_not cheating--"

" if i_was a cheat," said hill, with_the note of hysterics in_his voice, " should I come here and tell you ? "

" your repentance, of_course, does you credit," said professor Bindon, " but it does_not alter the original facts ."

" no, sir," said hill, giving in in utter self- abasement .

" even now you cause an enormous amount of trouble . the examination list will_have to_be revised ."

"I suppose so, sir ."

" suppose so ? of_course it must_be revised . and I don't see how I_can conscientiously pass you ."

" not pass me ? " said hill ." fail me ? "

" it's the rule in all examinations . or where should we be ? what else did you expect ? you don't want to shirk the consequences of your own acts ? "

" i_thought, perhaps----" said hill . and then, " fail me ? i_thought, as i_told you, you_would simply deduct the marks given for_that slip ."

" impossible ! " said Bindon ." besides, it would still leave you above Wedderburn . deduct only the marks ! preposterous ! the departmental Regulations distinctly say----"

" but it's my own admission, sir ."

" the Regulations say nothing whatever of_the manner in_which_the matter comes to light . they simply provide----"

" it_will ruin me . if I fail this examination, they won't renew my scholarship ."

" you_should_have thought of_that before ."

" but, sir, consider all my circumstances----"

" I_cannot consider anything .Professors in_this college are machines . the Regulations will not even let_us recommend our students for appointments . I_am a machine, and you_have worked me . I_have to_do----"

" it's very hard, sir ."

" possibly it_is ."

" if I_am to_be failed this examination, I_might as_well go home at once ."

" that_is as you_think proper ." Bindon's voice softened a little; he perceived he had_been unjust, and, provided he_did_not contradict himself, he_was disposed to amelioration ." as a private person," he_said, " i_think this confession of yours goes far to mitigate your offence . but you_have set the machinery in motion, and now it must take its course .I-- I_am really sorry you_gave way ."

a wave of emotion prevented hill from answering . suddenly, very vividly, he_saw the heavily- lined face of_the old Landport cobbler, his father ." good god ! what a fool I_have_been ! " he_said hotly and abruptly .

" I_hope," said Bindon, " that_it_will_be a lesson to_you ."

but, curiously enough, they were_not thinking of quite the same indiscretion .

there_was a pause .

" i_would like a day to_think, sir, and then i_will let you_know-- about going home, I mean," said hill, moving towards the door .

* * * * *

the next_day hill's place was vacant . the spectacled girl in green was, as usual, first with_the news .Wedderburn and miss Haysman were talking of a performance of_the Meistersingers when she came up to_them .

" have_you heard ? " she said .

" heard what ? "

" there_was cheating in_the examination ."

"Cheating ! " said Wedderburn, with_his face suddenly hot ." how ? "

" that slide--"

" moved ? never ! "

" it_was . that slide that we weren't to move--"

" nonsense ! " said Wedderburn ." why ! how could they find out ? who do they say-- ? "

" it_was Mr hill ."

_Hill ! "

" Mr hill ! "

" not-- surely not the immaculate hill ? " said Wedderburn, recovering .

"I don't believe it," said miss Haysman ." how do_you_know ? "

"I didn't_," said the girl in spectacles ." but I_know it now for a fact .Mr hill went and confessed to professor Bindon himself ."

" by Jove ! " said Wedderburn ." hill of all people . but I_am always inclined to distrust these philanthropists- on- principle--"

" are_you quite_sure ? " said miss Haysman, with a catch in her breath .

" quite . it's dreadful, isn't it ? but, you_know, what can_you expect ? his father is acobbler ."

then miss Haysman astonished the girl in spectacles .

"I don't care . i_will_not believe it," she said, flushing darkly under her warm- tinted skin ." i_will_not believe it until he has told me so himself-- face_to_face . i_would scarcely believe it then," and abruptly she turned her back on_the girl in spectacles, and walked to her own place .

" it's true, all the same," said the girl in spectacles, peering and smiling at Wedderburn .

but Wedderburn did_not answer her . she was indeed one of_those people who seemed destined to_make unanswered remarks .

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