she not a vain creature?" said Shenac Dhu. "No wonder that you look
at her that way, Hamish, lad."

The eyes of Hamish shone with pride and pleasure as they followed his
sister.

"Next year I'll weave it myself," said Shenac, coming back again. "You
need not laugh, Shenac Dhu. You'll see."

"Yes, I daresay. And where will you get your loom?" And Shenac Dhu put
up both hands and made-believe to cut her hair. Shenac Bhan shook her
head at her.

"I can learn to weave; you'll see. Anybody can learn anything if they
try," said Shenac.

"Except the binomial theorem," said Hamish, laughing.

His sister shook her head at him too. Charmed with the "new kind of
arithmetic" which Mr Rugg had brought, yet not enjoying any pleasure to
the full unless his sister enjoyed it with him, Hamish had tried to
beguile her into giving her spare hours to the study. But Shenac's mind
was occupied with other things, and, rather scornful of labour which
seemed to come to nothing, she had given little heed to it.

"I could learn that too, but what would be the good of it?" asked
Shenac.

"Ask the master," said Hamish.

"Well?" said Shenac, turning to Mr Stewart.

"Do you mean what is the good of algebra, or what would be the good of
it to you?" asked Mr Stewart.

"What would be the good of it to me? I can never have any use for the
like of that."

"The discipline of learning it might be good for you," said Mr Stewart.
"I once heard a lady say that her knowledge of Euclid had helped her to
cut and make her children's clothes."

Shenac laughed.

"I daresay Katie here could have taught her more about it with less
trouble."

"I daresay you are right," said the master. "And the discipline of the
wheel and the loom, and of household care, may be far better than the
discipline of study to prepare you for life and what it may bring you.
I am sure this gown, for instance," he added, laying his finger on the
sleeve, "has been worth far more to you already than the money it would
bring. I mean the patience and energy expended on it will be of far
more value to you; for you know these good gifts, well bestowed, leave
the bestower all the richer for the giving."

"I don't know how that may be," said Shenac, "but I know I would rather
have this gown of my own making than the prettiest one that Katie has
made for twelve months."

I do not know how I came to speak of the winter as a season of leisure
in connection with Shenac,