Part 49 (1/2)

CHAPTER x.x.xV

THE BRANDING OF TOMMY

Grizel's secession had at least one good effect: it gave Tommy more time in which to make a scholar of himself. Would you like a picture of Tommy trying to make a scholar of himself?

They all helped him in their different ways: Grizel, by declining his company; Corp, by being far away at Look-about-you, adding to the inches of a farm-house; Aaron Latta, by saying nothing but looking ”college or the herding;” Mr. McLean, who had settled down with Ailie at the Dovecot, by inquiries about his progress; Elspeth by--but did Elspeth's talks with him about how they should live in Aberdeen and afterwards (when they were in the big house) do more than send his mind a-galloping (she holding on behind) along roads that lead not to Aberdeen? What drove Tommy oftenest to the weary drudgery was, perhaps, the alarm that came over him when he seemed of a sudden to hear the names of the bursars proclaimed and no Thomas Sandys among them. Then did he shudder, for well he knew that Aaron would keep his threat, and he hastily covered the round table with books and sat for hours sorrowfully pecking at them, every little while to discover that his mind had soared to other things, when he hauled it back, as one draws in a reluctant kite. On these occasions Aaron seldom troubled him, except by glances that, nevertheless, brought the kite back more quickly than if they had been words of warning. If Elspeth was present, the warper might sit moodily by the fire, but when the man and the boy were left together, one or other of them soon retired, as if this was the only way of preserving the peace. Though determined to keep his word to Jean Myles liberally, Aaron had never liked Tommy, and Tommy's avoidance of him is easily accounted for; he knew that Aaron did not admire him, and unless you admired Tommy he was always a boor in your presence, shy and self-distrustful. Especially was this so if you were a lady (how amazingly he got on in after years with some of you, what agony others endured till he went away!), and it is the chief reason why there are such contradictory accounts of him to-day.

Sometimes Mr. Cathro had hopes of him other than those that could only be revealed in a shameful whisper with the door shut. ”Not so bad,” he might say to Mr. McLean; ”if he keeps it up we may squeeze him through yet, without trusting to--to what I was fool enough to mention to you.

The mathematics are his weak point, there's nothing practical about him (except when it's needed to carry out his devil's designs) and he cares not a doit about the line A B, nor what it's doing in the circle K, but there's whiles he surprises me when we're at Homer. He has the spirit o't, man, even when he bogles at the sense.”

But the next time Ivie called for a report--!

In his great days, so glittering, so brief (the days of the penny Life) Tommy, looking back to this year, was sure that he had never really tried to work. But he had. He did his very best, doggedly, wearily sitting at the round table till Elspeth feared that he was killing himself and gave him a melancholy comfort by saying so. An hour afterwards he might discover that he had been far away from his books, looking on at his affecting death and counting the mourners at the funeral.

Had he thought that Grizel's discovery was making her unhappy he would have melted at once, but never did she look so proud as when she scornfully pa.s.sed him by, and he wagged his head complacently over her coming chagrin when she heard that he had carried the highest bursary.

Then she would know what she had flung away. This should have helped him to another struggle with his lexicon, but it only provided a breeze for the kite, which flew so strong that he had to let go the string.

Aaron and the Dominie met one day in the square, and to Aaron's surprise Mr. Cathro's despondency about Tommy was more p.r.o.nounced than before.

”I wonder at that,” the warper said, ”for I a.s.sure you he has been harder 'at it than ever thae last nights. What's more, he used to look doleful as he sat at his table, but I notice now that he's as sweer to leave off as he's keen to begin, and the face of him is a' eagerness too, and he reads ower to himself what he has wrote and wags his head at it as if he thought it grand.”

”Say you so?” asked Cathro, suspiciously; ”does he leave what he writes lying about, Aaron?”

”No, but he takes it to you, does he no'?”

”Not him,” said the Dominie, emphatically. ”I may be mistaken, Aaron, but I'm doubting the young whelp is at his tricks again.”

The Dominie was right, and before many days pa.s.sed he discovered what was Tommy's new and delicious occupation.

For years Mr. Cathro had been in the habit of writing letters for such of the populace as could not guide a pen, and though he often told them not to come deaving him he liked the job, unexpected presents of a hen or a ham occasionally arriving as his reward, while the personal matters thus confided to him, as if he were a safe for the banking of private histories, gave him and his wife gossip for winter nights. Of late the number of his clients had decreased without his noticing it, so confident was he that they could not get on without him, but he received a shock at last from Andrew d.i.c.kie, who came one Sat.u.r.day night with paper, envelope, a Queen's head, and a request for a letter for Bell Birse, now of Tilliedrum.

”You want me to speir in your name whether she'll have you, do you?”

asked Cathro, with a flourish of his pen.

”It's no just so simple as that,” said Andrew, and then he seemed to be rather at a loss to say what it was. ”I dinna ken,” he continued presently with a grave face, ”whether you've noticed that I'm a gey queer deevil? Losh, I think I'm the queerest deevil I ken.”

”We are all that,” the Dominie a.s.sured him. ”But what do you want me to write?”

”Well, it's like this,” said Andrew, ”I'm willing to marry her if she's agreeable, but I want to make sure that she'll take me afore I speir her. I'm a proud man, Dominie.”

”You're a sly one!”

”Am I no!” said Andrew, well pleased. ”Well, could you put the letter in that wy?”

”I wouldna,” replied Mr. Cathro, ”though I could, and I couldna though I would. It would defy the face of clay to do it, you canny lover.”

Now, the Dominie had frequently declined to write as he was bidden, and had suggested alterations which were invariably accepted, but to his astonishment Andrew would not give in. ”I'll be stepping, then,” he said coolly, ”for if you hinna the knack o't I ken somebody that has.”

”Who?” demanded the irate Dominie.

”I promised no to tell you,” replied Andrew, and away he went. Mr.