The school-master was unable to speak, and, alarmed at the stillness, Francie whined, “He said it would be done at ony rate, and he promised me half his winnings.”

It is still remembered by bearded men and married women who were at school that day how Cathro leaped three forms to get at Tommy, and how Tommy cried under the tawse and yet laughed ecstatically at the same time, and how subsequently he and Francie collected so many dues that the pockets of them stood out like brackets from their little persons.

The dominie could not help grinning a little at his own discomfiture as he told this story, but Aaron saw nothing amusing in it.  “As I telled you,” he repeated, “I winna touch him, so if you’re no content wi’ what you’ve done yoursel’, you had better put Francie’s mither on him.”

“I hear she has taken him in hand already,” Mr. Cathro replied dryly.  “But, Aaron, I wish you would at least keep him closer to his lessons at night, for it is seldom he comes to the school well prepared.”

“I see him sitting lang ower his books,” said Aaron.

“Ay, maybe, but is he at them?” responded the dominie with a shake of the head that made Aaron say, with his first show of interest in the conversation, “You have little faith in his carrying a bursary, I see.”

But this Mr. Cathro would not admit, for if he thought Tommy a numskull the one day he often saw cause to change his mind the next, so he answered guardedly, “It’s too soon to say, Aaron, for he has eighteen months’ stuffing to undergo yet before we send him to Aberdeen to try his fortune, and I have filled some gey toom wimes in eighteen months.  But you must lend me a hand.”

The weaver considered, and then replied stubbornly, “No, I give him his chance, but I’ll have nocht to do wi’ his use o’t.  And, dominie, I want you to say not another word to me about him atween this and examination time, for my mind’s made up no to say a word to him.  It’s well kent that I’m no more fit to bring up bairns than to have them (dinna conter me, man, for the thing was proved lang syne at the Cuttle Well), and so till that time I’ll let him gang his ain gait.  But if he doesna carry a bursary, to the herding he goes.  I’ve said it and I’ll stick to it.”

So, as far as Aaron was concerned, Tommy was left in peace to the glory of collecting his winnings from those who had sworn by Cathro, and among them was Master Gavin Ogilvy Dishart, who now found himself surrounded by a debt of sixpence, a degrading position for the son of an Auld Licht minister.

Tommy would not give him time, but was willing to take his copy of “Waverley” as full payment.

Gavin offered him “Ivanhoe” instead, because his mother had given a read of “Waverley” to Gavinia, Miss Ailie’s servant, and she read so slowly, putting her finger beneath each word, that she had not yet reached the middle.  Also, she was so enamoured of the work that she would fight anyone who tried to take it from her.