of Lewis might well fill the mother's heart
with terror for Dan, who was much younger than his brother had been.
But she consented at last, and Shenac and Hamish set themselves to make
the best of Dan's going, for their mother's sake.

"He'll be in safe keeping with the Camerons, mother, and it will do him
good to rough it a little. We'll have him back in the spring, more of a
man and easier to do with," said Hamish.

But the mother was not easily comforted. Dan's going brought too
vividly back the going of those who had never returned; and the mother
fretted and pined for the lad, and murmured sometimes that, if Shenac
had been more forbearing with him, he might not have wanted to go. She
did not know how she hurt her daughter, or she never would have said
anything like that, for in her heart she knew that Shenac was not to
blame for the waywardness of Dan. But Shenac did not defend herself,
and the mother murmured on till the first letter came, saying that Dan
was well and doing well, and then she was content.

About this time they had a visit from their Uncle Allister, their
mother's brother, in whose house Hamish had passed the summer. He
brought his two daughters--pretty, cheerful girls--who determined
between themselves, encouraged by Hamish, that they should carry off
Shenac for a month's visit when they went home. They succeeded too,
though Shenac declared and believed it to be impossible that she should
leave home, even up to the day before they went. The change did her a
great deal of good. She came back much more like the Shenac of two
years ago than she had seemed for a long time; and, as spring drew on,
she could look forward to the labours of another summer without the
miserable misgivings that had so vexed her in the fall. Indeed, now
that Hamish was well, whether Dan came home or not, she felt sure of
success, and of a quiet and happy summer for them all.

But before spring came something happened. There came a letter from
Allister--not this time to the mother, but to Angus Dhu. It told of
wonderful success which had followed his going to the gold country, and
made known to Angus Dhu that in a certain bank in the city of M--- he
would find a sum of money equal to all his father's debt, with interest
up to the first day of May following, at which time he trusted that he
would give up all claim to the land that had been in his possession for
the last two years, according to the promise made t