shed for
counsel; she never even spoke to Hamish of all that was passing in her
heart.

This was, for many reasons, a time of great trial for Shenac. Day after
day and week after week passed, and still there came no tidings from
Allister or Evan, and every passing day and week seemed to her to make
the hope of their return more uncertain. The mother was falling into a
state which was more terrible to Shenac than positive illness would have
been. Her memory was failing, and she was becoming in many things like
a child. She was more easily dealt with in one sense, for she was
hardly ever fretful or exacting now; but the gentle passiveness that
assented to all things, the forgetfulness of the trifles of the day, and
the pleased dwelling on scenes and events of long ago, were far more
painful to her children than her fretfulness had ever been.

With a jealousy which all may not be able to understand, Shenac strove
to hide from herself and others that her mother's mind was failing. She
punished any seeming neglect or disrespect to their mother on the part
of the little ones with a severity that no wrong-doing had ever called
forth before, and resented any sympathising allusions of the neighbours
to her mother's state as an insult and a wrong.

She never left her. Even the nightly assembling in the kirk, which soon
began to interest her so deeply, could not beguile her from home till
her mother had been safely put to rest, with Hamish to watch over her.
All this, added to her household cares, told upon Shenac. But a worse
fear, a fear more terrible than even the uncertainty of Allister's fate
or the doubt as to her mother's recovery, was taking hold upon her. Her
determination to drive it from her served to keep it ever in view, for
it made her watch every change in the face and in the strength of her
beloved brother with an eagerness which she could not conceal.

Yes, Hamish was less strong than he had been last year. The summer's
visit to the springs had not done for him this year what it had done
before. He was thinner and paler, and less able to exert himself, than
ever. Even Dan saw it, and gave up all thoughts of going to the woods
again, and devoted himself to out-door matters with a zeal that left
Shenac free to attend to her many cares within.

At last she took courage and spoke to her brother about her fears for
him. He was greatly surprised, both at her fears and at the emotion
with which she spoke