I suppose, mother," Shenac
answered indifferently.

"The sooner the better," said her mother. "The things are as well here
as there, and we'll need them soon. What is to hinder you from going
to-morrow?"

"If the morning is fair, I'll need Shenac's help at the hay, mother,"
said Dan with an air.

"I'll need Shenac's help!" It might have been Angus Dhu himself, by the
way it was said, Shenac thought. It was ludicrous. Her mother did not
seem to see anything ludicrous in it, however; for she only answered,--

"Oh yes, Dan; if it should be fair, I suppose I can wait." Hamish was
busy with his book again.

"It's a very heavy crop," continued Dan. "It is all that a man can do
to cut yon grass and keep at it steady."

Of course Dan did not mean to take the credit of the heavy crop to
himself, but it sounded exactly as if he did; and there was something
exceedingly provoking to Shenac in the way in which he stretched himself
up when he said, "all that a man can do." A laughing glance that came
to her over the top of Hamish's book dispelled her momentary anger,
however.

"If Hamish does not mind, I'm sure _I_ need not," she said to herself.

Dan went on:--"I shall put what I have cut to-day in the long barn. It
will be just the thing for the spring's work."

Dan's new-found far-sightedness was too much for the gravity of Hamish,
and Shenac joined heartily in the laugh. Dan looked a little
discomfited.

"You must settle it with Shenac and your brother," said the mother.

"All right, Dan, my boy," said Hamish heartily; "it's always best to
look ahead, as Mr Rugg would say.--What do you think, Shenac?"

"All right; only you should not say `my boy' to our Dan, but `my man,'"
said Shenac gravely.

Even little Flora could understand the joke of Dan's assuming the airs
of manhood, and all laughed heartily. Dan joined in the laugh
good-humouredly enough.

"You see, Shenac," said Hamish, during the few minutes they always
lingered together after the others had gone to bed, "Dan may be led, but
he will not be driven--at least, not by you or me."

"Led!" exclaimed Shenac; "I think he means to lead us all. That scythe
has made a man of him all at once. I declare it goes past my patience
to hear the monkey."

"It must not go past your patience if you can help it, Shenac," said her
brother. "All that nonsense will be laughed out of him, but it must not
be by you or me."

"Oh, well, I'm not caring," said