“Oh! what I said is nothing. It was the two Shenacs,” said Dan.
Shenac Dhu, as a general thing, was able enough to take her own part; but she looked a little shamefaced at the moment, and said nothing.
“What did they say, Dan?” asked Allister, laughing.
Shenac Dhu need not have feared. Dan went on to say,—
“I have been telling our Shenac that she will have to ‘knock under,’ now that you are come home; but she says she is not afraid.”
“Why should she be?” asked Allister, who still stood behind his sister, passing his hand caressingly over her hair.
“Oh, you don’t know our Shenac,” said Dan, nodding wisely, as though he could give some important information on the subject. The rest laughed.
“I’m not sure that I know anybody’s Shenac very well,” said Allister gravely; “but in time I hope to do so.”
“Oh, but our Shenac’s not like the rest of the girls. She’s hard and proud, and looks at folk as though she didn’t see them. You may laugh, but I have heard folk say it; and so have you, Shenac Dhu.”
“No, I never did,” said Shenac Dhu; “but maybe it’s true for all that: there’s Sandy McMillan—”