Lat the laddies work it aff.

As lang's they haud their han's frae what doesna belang to them, I dinna min' a bit ploy noo and than.
They'll noo turn oot the waur men for a pliskie or twa." The fact was, none of the boys would have dreamed of interfering with Andrew Constable.

Everybody respected him; not because he was an elder of the kirk, but because he was a good-tempered, kindly, honest man; or to sum up all in one word--_a douce chield_--by which word _douce_ is indicated every sort of propriety of behaviour--a virtue greatly esteemed by the Scotch.

This adjective was universally applied to Andrew.
While Alec was confined to the house, he had been busy inventing all kinds of employments for the period of the snow.

His lessons never occupied much of his thoughts, and no pains having yet been taken to discover in what direction his tastes inclined him, he had of course to cater for himself.