, not yet. I have no mind for my book to-night."

Graeme stirred the fire, and moved about the room a little. When she
opened the door, the sound of the children's voices came in merrily, and
she shrunk from going out into the light. So she sat down in her
accustomed place by the window, and thought, and listened to the sighs,
that told her that her father was busy with anxious thoughts, too.

"Only my frail life between my children and homelessness," he had said.
It seemed to Graeme, as she sat there in the darkness, that since the
morning, everything in the world had changed. They had been so at rest,
and so happy, and now it seemed to her, that they could never settle
down to the old quiet life again.

"As an eagle stirreth up her nest," she murmured to herself. "Well, I
ought no' to fear the changes He brings--But, oh! I am afraid."

CHAPTER SIXTEEN.

The rest of the bairns received the tidings of the change that was going
to take place among them, in a very different way from Graeme. Their
astonishment at the idea of Janet's marriage was great, but it did not
equal their delight. Graeme was in the minority decidedly, and had to
keep quiet. But then Janet was in the minority, too, and Mr Snow's
suit was anything but prosperous for some time. Indeed, he scarcely
ventured to show his face at the minister's house, Mrs Nasmyth was so
evidently out of sorts, anxious and unhappy. Her unhappiness was
manifested by silence chiefly, but the silent way she had of ignoring
Sampson and his claims, discouraging all approach to the subject, that
lay so near the good deacon's heart, was worse to bear than open rebuff
would have been; and while Mrs Nasmyth's silence grieved Mr Snow, the
elaborate patience of his manner, his evident taking for granted that
"she would get over it," that "it would all come right in the end," were
more than she could sometimes patiently endure.

"He's like the lave o' them," said she to Graeme one day, after having
closed the door, on his departure, with more haste than was at all
necessary. "Give a man an inch, and he'll take an ell. Because I didna
just set my face against the whole matter, when the minister first spoke
about it, he's neither to hold nor bind, but `when will it be?' and
`when will it be?' till I have no peace of my life with him."

Graeme could not help laughing at her excitement.

"But, when will it be?" asked she.

"My dear, I'm no sure that it will ever b