Ben Hadley's conversion had indeed been sudden, and, as in most similar cases, he found some difficulty in staying converted. While his pride was flattered by the confidence reposed in him by Miss Frost, there were times when his old mischievous propensities almost overcame him. On the third day, as John Cotton was passing Ben's desk, the latter suddenly thrust out his foot into the passageway between the desks, and John tumbled over it.