Chapter 34 - Page 2

round in the carriage to pick up the guests and whisked them in and out,
and slammed the door, and saw to it that the minister was not kept
waiting, and warned Miss Ailie that if she did not come now they should
begin without her. It was he who stood near her with a handkerchief
ready in his hand lest she took to crying on her new brown silk (Miss
Ailie was married in brown silk after all). As a crown to his audacity,
it was he who told Mr. Dishart, in the middle of a noble passage, to
mind the lamp.

These duties were Dr. McQueen's, the best man, but either demoralized by
the bridegroom, who went all to pieces at the critical moment and was
much more nervous than the bride, or in terror lest Grizel, who had sent
him to the wedding speckless and most beautifully starched, should
suddenly appear at the door and cry, "Oh, oh, take your fingers off your
shirt!" he was through other till the knot was tied, and then it was too
late, for Tommy had made his mark. It was Tommy who led the way to the
school-room, where the feast was ready, it was Tommy who put the guests
in their places (even the banker cringed to him), it was. Tommy who
winked to Mr. Dishart as a sign to say grace. As you will readily
believe, Miss Ailie could not endure the thought of excluding her
pupils from the festivities, and they began to arrive as soon as the
tables had been cleared of all save oranges and tarts and raisins.
Tommy, waving Gavinia aside, showed them in, and one of them, curious to
tell, was Corp, in borrowed blacks, and Tommy shook hands with him and
called him Mr. Shiach, both new experiences to Corp, who knocked over a
table in his anxiety to behave himself, and roared at intervals "Do you
see the little deevil!" and bit his warts and then politely swallowed
the blood.

As if oranges and tarts and raisins were not enough, came the Punch and
Judy show, Tommy's culminating triumph. All the way to Redlintie had Mr.
McLean sent for the Punch and Judy show, and nevertheless there was a
probability of no performance, for Miss Ailie considered the show
immoral. Most anxious was she to give pleasure to her pupils, and this
she knew was the best way, but how could she countenance an
entertainment which was an encouragement to every form of vice and
crime? To send these children to the Misses Langlands and Oram, fresh
from an introduction to the comic view of murder! It could not be done,
now could it? Mr. McLean could make no suggestion. Mr. Dishart thought
it would be advisable to substitute another entertainment; was there not
a game called "The Minister's Cat"? Mrs. Dishart thought they should
have the show and risk the consequences. So also thought Dr. McQueen.
The banker was consulted,