It had so often been a pleasure to Cathro to thrash him! "Genius is odd," they said.

"Did he ever give you any trouble ?" "We were like father and son," he assured them.

With natural pride he showed them the ink-pot into which Thomas Sandys had dipped as a boy.
They were very grateful for his interesting reminiscence that when the pot was too full Thomas inked his fingers.

He presented several of them with the ink-pot.
Two ladies, who came together, bothered him by asking what the Hugh Blackadder competition was.

They had been advised to inquire of him about Thomas Sandys's connection therewith by another schoolmaster, a Mr.Ogilvy, whom they had met in one of the glens.
Mr.Cathro winced, and then explained with emphasis that the Hugh Blackadder was a competition in which the local ministers were the sole judges; he therefore referred the ladies to them.