gave Hamish up after that night; or, rather, she had given up her own
will, and waited that God's will might be done in him and in her. It
was not that she suffered, and had strength to hide her suffering from
her brother's eye. She did not suffer as she had done before. She did
not love her brother less, but she no longer grudged him to his Lord and
hers. It was not that for him the change would be most blessed, nor
that for her the waiting would not be long. It was because God willed
that her brother should go hence; and therefore she willed it too.

And what blessed days those were that followed! Surely never traveller
went down the dark valley cheered by warmer love or tenderer care.
There was no cloud, no shadow of a cloud, between the brother and sister
after that night. Though Shenac never said it, Hamish knew that after
that night she gave him up and was at peace. It was a peaceful time to
all the household, and to the friends who came now and then to see them;
but there was more than peace in the hallowed hours to the brother and
sister. It was a foretaste of "the rest that remaineth." To one, that
rest was near. Between it and the other lay life--it might be long--a
life of care and labour and trial; but to her the rest "remaineth" all
the same.

He did not suffer much--just enough to make her loving care constant and
very sweet to him--just enough to make her not grudge too much, for his
sake, the passing of the days. Oh, how peacefully they glided on! The
valley was steep, but it never was dark. Not a shadow, to the very
last, came to dim the brightness of those days; and in remembrance the
brightness lingers still.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN.

But I must go back again to the June days when Shenac's peace was new.
The light came in through the western window, not from the sun, but from
the glory he had left behind; and with his face upturned towards the
golden clouds, Hamish sat gazing, as if he saw heaven beyond.

"Ready and waiting!" thought Shenac--"ready and waiting!"

For a moment she thought she must have spoken the words aloud, as her
brother turned and said,--

"I have just one thing left to wish for, Shenac. If I could only see
Mr Stewart once again."

"He said he would come, dear, in August or September," said Shenac,
after a moment's pause.

"I shall not see him, then," said Hamish softly.

"He might come sooner, perhaps, if he knew," said Shenac. "Allister
might write to hi