Excited, and unable to settle to his work, Alec ran upstairs to Mr Cupples, whom he had not seen for some days.

He found him not more than half-way towards his diurnal goal.
"What's come o' _you_, bantam, this mony a day ?" said Mr Cupples.
"I saw ye last Saturday," said Alec.
"Last Setterday week, ye mean," rejoined the librarian.

"Hoo's the mathematics comin' on ?" "To tell the truth, I'm raither ahin' wi' them," answered Alec.
"I was thinkin' as muckle.

Rainbows! Thae rainbows! And the anawtomy ?" "Nae jist stan'in' still a'thegither." "That's weel.

Ye haena been fa'in' asleep again ower the guddlet carcass o' an auld pauper--hae ye ?" Alec stared.