When Mr. Ogilvy heard this he seemed to be much impressed, repeatedly he nodded his head as some beat time to music, and he muttered to himself, “The right word—­yes, that’s everything,” and “’the time went by like winking’—­exactly, precisely,” and he would have liked to examine Tommy’s bumps, but did not, nor said a word aloud, for was he not there in McLauchlan’s interest?

The other five were furious; even Mr. Lorrimer, though his man had won, could not smile in face of such imbecility.  “You little tattie doolie,” Cathro roared, “were there not a dozen words to wile from if you had an ill-will to puckle?  What ailed you at manzy, or—­”

“I thought of manzy,” replied Tommy, woefully, for he was ashamed of himself, “but—­but a manse’s a swarm.  It would mean that the folk in the kirk were buzzing thegither like bees, instead of sitting still.”

“Even if it does mean that,” said Mr. Duthie, with impatience, “what was the need of being so particular?  Surely the art of essay-writing consists in using the first word that comes and hurrying on.”

“That’s how I did,” said the proud McLauchlan, who is now leader of a party in the church, and a figure in Edinburgh during the month of May.

“I see,” interposed Mr. Gloag, “that McLauchlan speaks of there being a mask of people in the church.  Mask is a fine Scotch word.”

“Admirable,” assented Mr. Dishart.  “I thought of mask,” whimpered Tommy, “but that would mean the kirk was crammed, and I just meant it to be middling full.”

“Flow would have done,” suggested Mr. Lorrimer.

“Flow’s but a handful,” said Tommy.

“Curran, then, you jackanapes!”

“Curran’s no enough.”

Mr. Lorrimer flung up his hands in despair.

“I wanted something between curran and mask,” said Tommy, dogged, yet almost at the crying.

Mr. Ogilvy, who had been hiding his admiration with difficulty, spread a net for him.  “You said you wanted a word that meant middling full.  Well, why did you not say middling full—­or fell mask?”

“Yes, why not?” demanded the ministers, unconsciously caught in the net.

“I wanted one word,” replied Tommy, unconsciously avoiding it.

“You jewel!” muttered Mr. Ogilvy under his breath, but Mr. Cathro would have banged the boy’s head had not the ministers interfered.

“It is so easy, too, to find the right word,” said Mr. Gloag.

“It’s no; it’s as difficult as to hit a squirrel,” cried Tommy, and again Mr. Ogilvy nodded approval.

But the ministers were only pained.

“The lad is merely a numskull,” said Mr. Dishart, kindly.

“And no teacher could have turned him into anything else,” said Mr. Duthie.

“And so, Cathro, you need not feel sore over your defeat,” added Mr. Gloag; but nevertheless Cathro took Tommy by the neck and ran him out of the parish school of Thrums.  When he returned to the others he found the ministers congratulating McLauchlan, whose nose was in the air, and complimenting Mr. Ogilvy, who listened to their formal phrases solemnly and accepted their hand-shakes with a dry chuckle.