Chapter 20

THE SHADOW OF SIR WALTER

Tommy was in Miss Ailie's senior class now, though by no means at the
top of it, and her mind was often disturbed about his future. On this
subject Aaron had never spoken to anyone, and the problem gave Tommy
himself so little trouble that all Elspeth knew was that he was to be
great and that she was to keep his house. So the school-mistress braved
an interview with Aaron for the sake of her favorite.

"You know he is a remarkable boy," she said.

"At his lessons, ma'am?" asked Aaron, quietly.

Not exactly at his lessons, she had to admit.

"In what way, then, ma'am?"

Really Miss Ailie could not say. There was something wonderful about
Tommy, you felt it, but you could not quite give it a name. The warper
must have noticed it himself.

"I've heard him saying something o' the kind to Elspeth," was Aaron's
reply.

"But sometimes he is like a boy inspired," said the school-mistress.
"You must have seen that?"

"When he was thinking o' himsel'," answered Aaron.

"He has such noble sentiments."

"He has."

"And I think, I really think," said Miss Ailie, eagerly, for this was
what she had come to say, "that he has got great gifts for the
ministry."

"I'm near sure o't," said Aaron, grimly.

"Ah, I see you don't like him."

"I dinna," the warper acknowledged quietly, "but I've been trying to do
my duty by him for all that. It's no every laddie that gets three years'
schooling straight on end."

This was true, but Miss Ailie used it to press her point. "You have done
so well by him," she said, "that I think you should keep him at school
for another year or two, and so give him a chance of carrying a bursary.
If he carries one it will support him at college; if he does not--well,
then I suppose he must be apprenticed to some trade."

"No," Aaron said, decisively; "if he gets the chance of a college
education and flings it awa', I'll waste no more siller on his keep.
I'll send him straight to the herding."

"And I shall not blame you," Miss Ailie declared eagerly.

"Though I would a hantle rather," continued the warper, "waur my money
on Elspeth."

"What you spend on him," Miss Ailie argued, "you will really be spending
on her, for if he rises in the world he will not leave Elspeth behind.
You are prejudiced against him, but you cannot deny that."

"I dinna deny but what he's fond o' her," said Aaron, and after
considering the matter for some