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, but saw no way out of the difficulty, nor did the lawyer, nor did the Misses Finlayson.