ight see him again. It was
late, and the farewells were brief and earnest.

"God bless you, Shenac!" was all that Mr Stewart said; and Shenac
answered never a word.

"I'll walk a little way with you," said Allister. Hamish and Shenac
stood watching them till they passed through the gate, and then Shenac
sat down on the doorstep with a sigh, and laid her face upon her hands.
Hamish looked a little astonished, but he smiled too.

"He will come back again, Shenac," he said at last.

"Yes, I know," said she, rising slowly. "I must tell you before he
comes. We must not stay here. Come in; you will take cold. I don't
know what to think. He expected me to be pleased, and I shall be in a
little while, I think, after I have told you. Do you know it, Hamish?"

"I know--he told me; but I thought he had not spoken to you," said the
puzzled Hamish.

"Did Allister tell you? Are you glad, Hamish?"

"Allister?" repeated Hamish.

"Allister has asked Shenac Dhu to be his wife," said Shenac in a
whisper.

"Is that it? No, I had not heard that, though I thought it might be--
some time. You must have seen it, Shenac?"

"Seen it! the thought never came into my mind--never once--till he told
me to-night."

"Well, that's odd, too," said Hamish, smiling. "They say girls are
quick enough to see such things. Are you not pleased, Shenac?"

"I don't know. Should I be pleased, Hamish? I think perhaps in a
little while I shall be." Then she added, "It will make a great
difference."

"Will it?" asked Hamish. "Cousin Shenac has almost been like one of
ourselves so long."

"I suppose it is foolish, and maybe it is wrong, but it does seem to put
Allister farther from us--from me, at least. He seems less our own."

"Don't say that, Shenac dear," said her brother gently. "Allister can
never be less than a dear and loving brother to us all. It is very
natural and right that this should happen. It might have been a
stranger. We all love Shenac Dhu dearly."

"Yes," said Shenac; "I said that to Allister."

"And, Shenac, I am very glad this should happen. Allister will settle
down content, and be a good and useful man."

"He would have done that anyway," said Shenac, a little dolefully.

"He might, but he might not," said Hamish. "They say marriage is the
natural and proper state. I am glad for Allister, Shenac; and you will
be glad by-and-by. I wish I had known this a little sooner. I am very
glad, Shenac."