ring all things."

"Considering what I said to him, you mean," said Shenac sharply. "I was
sorry for that as soon as I said it. But, Hamish, if you think I'm
going down on my knees to Angus Dhu to tell him so, you're mistaken. He
may not be a thief and a robber, but he's a dour carle, though he is of
our own kin, and as different from our father as the dark is different
from the day. And I can say nothing else of him, even for your sake,
Hamish."

"It is not for my sake that I am speaking, Shenac, but for your own.
You are doing yourself a great wrong, cherishing this bitterness in your
heart."

Shenac was too much grieved and too angry to speak. She knew very well
that she was neither very good nor very wise; but it had hitherto been
her great pleasure in life to know that Hamish thought her so, and his
words were very painful to her. She was vexed with him, and with Dan,
and with all the world. Above all, she was vexed with herself.

She would not confess it, but in her heart she knew that a little of the
zest would be taken from their labours if she were sure that their
success would not be a source of vexation to Angus Dhu. And then Hamish
had said she was injuring Dan--encouraging him in what was wrong--
perhaps risking her influence for good over him.

The longer she thought about all this, the more unhappy she became.
"Bearing false witness!" she repeated. It was a great sin she had been
committing. It had been done thoughtlessly, but it was none the less a
sin for that, Shenac knew. Hamish was right. She was growing very hard
and wicked; and no wonder that he had come to think so meanly of her.
Shenac said all this to herself, with many sorrowful and some angry
tears. But the anger passed away before the sorrow. There were no
confessions made openly; but, whatever may have been her secret thoughts
of Angus Dhu, neither Dan nor Hamish nor anybody else ever heard Shenac
speak a disrespectful word of him again.

Dan never got the "hearing" with which she had threatened him. She
checked him more than once, when in the old way he began to remark on
the evident interest that their father's cousin took in their work; but
she did it gently, remembering her own fault.

The intercourse which had almost ceased between the families was
gradually renewed--at least, between the younger ones. Shenac could not
bring herself to go often to her cousins' house. She always felt, as
she said to Hamish, as th