ed, and tied in Mrs More's handkerchief.

"Shenac Bhan," said the other Shenac solemnly, "you look like a shorn
sheep. I shall never see you again without thinking of the young woman
tied to the stake on the sands, and the sea coming up and up--"

"Shenac, be quiet. It is sinful to speak lightly of so solemn a thing,"
said her sister gravely.

"Solemn!" said Shenac. "Lightly! By no means. I was putting two
solemn things together. I don't know which is more solemn. For my
part, I would as soon feel the cold water creeping up my back, like--"

"Shenac," said our Shenac entreatingly, "don't say foolish things and
vex my mother and Hamish."

Her cousin put her hand on her mouth.

"You have heard my last word."

But the last word about the shining curls was not spoken yet.

CHAPTER SIX.

The day when the haying was to have commenced was very rainy, and so was
every day for a week or more. People were becoming a little anxious as
to the getting in of the hay; for in almost all the fields it was more
than ripe, and everybody knows that it should not stand long after that.
The fields of the Macivors were earlier than those of most people, and
Shenac was especially careful to get the hay in at the right time and in
good condition, because they had so much less of it than ever before.

And besides, the wheat-harvest was coming on, and where there were so
few to help, every day made a difference. Whenever there came a glimpse
of sunshine, Dan was out in the field, making good use of his scythe;
for mowing was new and exciting work to him, though he had seen it done
every summer of his life. It is not every boy of fourteen that could
swing a scythe to such good purpose as Dan, and he might be excused for
being a little proud and a little unreasonable in the matter. And after
all, I daresay he knew quite as much about it as Shenac. When she told
him how foolish it was to cut down grass when there was no chance of
getting it dried, he only laughed and pointed to the fields of Angus
Dhu, where there were three men busy, and acres and acres of grass lying
as it had fallen.

"You are a good farmer, Shenac, but Angus Dhu, you must confess, has had
more experience, and is a better judge of the weather. We're safe
enough to follow him."

There was reason in this, but it vexed Shenac to have Angus Dhu quoted
as authority; and it vexed her too that Dan should take the matter into
his own hands without regard to