g the share of Hamish added to her own made a great
difference. But she would not have minded the work if only Dan had been
reasonable. She had said to herself often, before Hamish went away,
that she would be ten times more patient and watchful over herself than
ever she had been before, and that Dan should have no excuse from her
for being wilful and idle. It had come into her mind of late that Angus
Dhu had not been far wrong when he said Dan was a wild lad, and she had
said as much to Hamish. But Hamish had warned her from meddling with
Dan.

"You must trust him, and show that you trust him, Shenac, if you would
get any good out of him. He is just at the age to be uneasy, and to
have plans and ways of his own, having no one to guide him. We must
have patience with Dan a while."

"If patience would do it," said Shenac sadly.

But she made up her mind that, come what might, she would watch her
words and her actions too with double care till Hamish came home again.
She was very patient with Dan, or she meant to be so; but she had a
great many things pressing on her at this time, and it vexed her beyond
measure when he, through carelessness or indifference to her wishes, let
things intrusted to him go wrong. She had self-command enough almost
always to refrain from speaking while she was angry, but she could not
help her vexed looks; and the manner in which she strove to mend
matters, by doing with her own hands what he had done imperfectly or
neglected altogether, angered Dan far more than words could have done.

They missed the peace-maker. Oh, how Shenac missed him in all things
where Dan was concerned! She had not realised before how great had been
the influence of Hamish over his brother, or, indeed, over them all. A
laughing remark from Hamish would do more to put Dan right than any
amount of angry expostulation or silent forbearance from her. Oh, how
she missed him! How were they to get through harvest-time without him?

"Mother," said Dan, as he came in to his dinner one day, "have you any
message to The Sixteenth? I am going over to McLay's raising
to-morrow."

"But, Dan, my lad, the barley is losing; and, for all that you could do
at the putting up of the barn, it hardly seems worth your while to go so
far," said his mother.

Shenac had not come in yet, but Shenac Dhu, who had come over on a
message, was there.

"Oh, I have settled that, mother. The Camerons and Sandy McMillan are
comin