ten at night
This term we had a new mistress for mathematics , and I did n't like her a bit . I was always very slow and stupid at mathematics , and the new mistress was so quick , she worked away like lightning , and I _ could _ not follow her . She would rush through a proposition in Euclid , proving that some figure was , or was not equal to some other figure , and leave me stranded vainly trying to understand the first proof when she was at the last , and I _ could n't _ care , anyhow , whether one line could be proved equal to another or not , I felt it would be much simpler to measure it and have done with it . It was the same in arithmetic ; she took us through innumerable step-fractions with innumerable steps , just as fast as she could put the figures down , and all I could do was to stare stupidly at the blackboard and hope that I might be able to worry some sense out of it all at home ; and she gave us so much home-work that I had to toil till after ten at night , and then had to leave my sums half done , or neglect my other work altogether . I was slow and stupid , I knew , but the others all suffered too , though not so much , and presently complaints were made by all the other mistresses that their work was not done , and all the girls had the same reason to give , the arithmetic took so long . So Miss Vinton made out a time-table for our prep. , and said we were to leave off when the time was up , whether we 'd finished or not . It was a great relief , my hair was turning grey with the work and worry !