Chapter 35

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