r
trouble."

She was getting anxious and excited.

"Bees are well enough in their way," said Mrs McDonald. "And some of
the neighbours were saying they would gather one to help me with the
wool. But, John, man, if you could do this for the widow Macivor, I
would far rather let Shenac do the wool."

"I would do it well," said Shenac. "I would begin to-morrow."

"But if you were to do the wool, and then something was to happen that I
could not plough or sow the field, what then?" asked John gravely.

Shenac looked at him, but said nothing.

"What could happen, John, man?" said his wife.

"We could have it written down, however," said John, "and that would
keep us to our bargain. Should we have it written down, Shenac?"

"If you like," said Shenac gravely; "but there is no need. I would
begin the wool to-morrow, and do it as soon as I could."

"Oh ay, oh ay! but you might need the bit of writing to bind _me_,
Shenac, my wise woman. I might slip out of it when the wool was done."

"John, man!" remonstrated his wife.

"You would never do that," said Shenac quietly. "If you wished to do
it, a paper would not hold you to it. I don't see the use of a writing;
but if you want one I don't care, of course."

But neither did John care, and so they made the bargain. John was to
charge the widow a certain sum for the work to be done, and Shenac was
to be allowed the usual price for a day's work of spinning; and it was
thought that when the wool was spun and the field ploughed and sowed,
they would be about even. There might be a little due on one side or
the other, but it would not be much.

"Well then, it's all settled," said Shenac, and she did not attempt to
conceal her satisfaction.

It came into John's mind that being settled was one thing and being done
was quite another; but he did not say so. He said to himself, as he saw
Shenac busy about his wife and child,--

"If there is a way to put that wheat in better than wheat was ever put
in before, I shall find it out and do it."

He said the same to his wife, as together they watched her running down
the road to meet Shenac Dhu.

"What in the world kept you so long?" asked her cousin. "Have you been
hearkening to one of John Firinn's stories? Better not tell it again.
What made you bide so long?"

"Do you know how ill the wife has been?" asked Shenac Bhan. Then she
told how she found the poor woman suffering, and about the children and
their di