"They say he's lickit the dominie, and 'maist been the deid o' him." "I hae kent waur laddies nor Sandy Forbes," was Thomas's curt reply.
"Ow, deed ay! I ken naething agen the laddie.

Him an' oor Willie's unco throng." To this the sole answer Thomas gave was a grunt, and a silence of a few seconds followed before he spoke, reverting to the point from which they had started.
"I'm no clear but Alec micht hae committed a waur sin than thrashin' the dominie.

He's a dour crater, that Murdoch Malison, wi' his fair face and his picket words.

I doot the bairns hae the warst o' 't in general.

And for Alec I hae great houpes.