"
The bejans used to laugh at him in consequence. But long before they
were magistrands, the best of them had a profound respect for the
librarian. Not a few of them repaired to him with all their
difficulties; and such a general favourite was he, that any story of
his humour or oddity was sure to be received with a roar of loving
laughter. Indeed I doubt whether, within the course of a curriculum, Mr
Cupples had not become the real centre of intellectual and moral life
in that college.
One evening, as he and Alec were sitting together speculating on the
speediest mode of turning Alec's acquirements to money-account, their
landlady entered.
"Here's my cousin," she said, "Captain McTavish o' the _Sea-horse_, Mr
Forbes, wha says that afore lang he'll be wantin' a young doctor to
gang and haud the scurvy aff o' his men at the whaul-fishin'. Sae of
coorse I thoucht o' my ain first, and ran up the stair to you. It'll be
fifty poun' i' yer pooch, and a plenty o' rouch ploys that the like o'
you young fallows likes, though I canna say I wad like sic things
mysel'. Only I'm an auld wife, ye see, and that maks the differ."
"Nae that auld, Mistress Leslie," said Cupples, "gin ye wadna lee.
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