The marquis only smiled.
"I ken what ye mean. It's a strange word in a fisher lad's mou',
ye think. But what for should na a fisher lad hae a smatterin' o'
loagic, my lord? For Greek or Laitin there's but sma' opportunity
o' exerceese in oor pairts; but for loagic, a fisher body may aye
haud his ban' in i' that. He can aye be tryin' 't upo' 's wife, or
's guid mother, or upo' 's boat, or upo' the fish whan they winna
tak. Loagic wad save a heap o' cursin' an' ill words--amo' the
fisher fowk, I mean, my lord."
"Have you been to college?"
"Na, my lord--the mair's the pity! But I've been to the school
sin' ever I can min'."
"Do they teach logic there?"
"A kin' o' 't. Mr Graham sets us to try oor ban' whiles--jist to
mak 's a bit gleg (quick and keen), ye ken."
"You don't mean you go to school still?"
"I dinna gang reg'lar; but I gang as aften as Mr Graham wants me
to help him, an' I aye gether something."
"So it's schoolmaster you are as well as fisherman? Two strings to
your bow!--Who pays you for teaching?"
"Ow! naebody. Wha wad pay me for that?"
"Why, the schoolmaster."
"Na, but that wad be an affront, my lord!"
"How can you afford the time for nothing?"
"The time comes to little, compairt wi' what Mr Graham gies me i'
the lang forenichts--i' the winter time, ye ken, my lord, whan
the sea's whiles ower contumahcious to be meddlet muckle wi'."
"But you have to support your grandfather."
"My gran'father wad be ill pleased to hear ye say 't, my lord.
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