"Gentlemen, the examination is over," boomed out the inexorable voice. Vag scribbled a last "thus it is clearly obvious that . . .," and closed the bluebook, carefully not looking over the previous pages.

He stood up and stretched. It was all over, for another four months. No more last minute frenzies. No more sleeping between three and eight a.m. No more sessions in a bleak lecture hall with a blank-lined page in front of him, and a great blank void in his mind. It was a relief to finish any exam, but after this last one he could really afford to look ahead. He drew himself a luxuriant picture of days doing nothing, lingering, over breakfast, lazing through the morning, coffee and magazines in the common room after lunch and again after dinner, time even for a little exercise in the afternoons (they say you ought to get into shape nowadays), evenings for movies, dates . . .

The proctor was looking a little impatient as Vag walked up to hand him the bluebook, and he stared down the pacifying smile which seemed to say, "After all, I don't hold it against you personally." But Vag didn't mind, and even gave the man a sympathetic thought as he strolled out of the exam room--probably a grad student, he reflected.

Outside in the Yard the snow was melting dingily and people were waling fast with their coast collars turned up. Vag looked down at them from Emerson steps. Poor fellows, they probably had one, or even two more ordeals to face. No wonder they were rushing. In his place they would have all the time in the world.

Wonder just what I will do in the next week, Vag reflected. Of course there's always that reading I was going to catch up on for divisionals. But there's no sense studying the week after exams. And anyway, I might do better running around to see Professor Casner and the Navy people, and somebody over at the Busy School. That wouldn't take all week, though. Top bad I can't afford to go home, or even go away somewhere. Skiing maybe. Shouldn't have spent all that money over Christmas. Vag shivered, from the cold and from the thought of a week to be bored in, and turned up his coat collar.

"Hi, there, Vag, how are the exams going?" He looked up at his interrogator and answered: "I'm all finished. Just had my last one." The other man grinned: "Want to change places with me?" Vag thought a bit. "No," he said, "I guess not."