well, Hamish, that I never speak of Angus Dhu except to
you--not even to my mother."

"You have spoken to Dan--at least, you have spoken in his hearing. What
do you think I heard him saying the other day to Shenac yonder?"

"Shenac yonder" was the youngest daughter of Angus Dhu, so called by the
brothers to distinguish her from their sister, who was "our Shenac" to
them. Other people distinguished between the cousins as they had
between the fathers. One was Shenac Bhan; the other, Shenac Dhu.

"I don't know," said Shenac, startled. "What was it?"

"Something like what you were saying to me just now. You may think how
Shenac's black eyes looked when she heard him."

Shenac was shocked.

"She would not mind what Dan said."

"No. It was only when Dan told her that _you_ said it that she seemed
to mind," said Hamish gravely.

"Dan had no business to tell her," said Shenac hotly; then she paused.

"No," said Hamish; "I told him that."

"I'll give him a hearing," began Shenac.

"I think, Shenac, you should say nothing to Dan about it," said Hamish.
"Only take care never to say more than you think before the little ones,
or indeed before any one again. You may vex Angus Dhu, and Shenac
yonder, and the rest, but the real harm is done to us at home, and
especially to yourself, Shenac; for you no more believe that Angus Dhu
is a robber--the oppressor of the widow and the fatherless--than I do."

Shenac uttered an exclamation of impatience.

"I shall give it to Dan."

"No, Shenac, you will not. Dan must be carefully dealt with. He has a
strong will of his own, and if it comes into his mind that you or any
one, except our mother, is trying to govern him, he'll slip through our
fingers some fine day."

"You've been taking a leaf out of Angus Dhu's book. There's no fear of
Dan," said Shenac.

"There's no fear of him as long as he thinks he's pleasing himself, and
that his sister is the best and the wisest girl to be found," said
Hamish. "But if it were to come to a trial of strength between you, Dan
would be sure to win."

Shenac was silent. She knew it would not be well to risk her influence
over Dan by a struggle of any sort. But she was very angry with him.

"He might have had more sense," she said, after a moment.

"And indeed, Shenac, so might you," said Hamish gravely. "There should
be no more said about Angus Dhu, for his sake and ours. He has been
very friendly to us this summer, conside