Volume I Part 57 (1/2)
”By what chain of reasoning, Miss Faith?”
”I know by the sound of your voice. And you eat nothing to-day. Do you like cocoa, Mr. Linden?” she added eagerly.
He smiled a little and answered yes.
”Then I shall bring you some!”
Faith stayed for no answer to that remark, but ran off. Half an hour good had pa.s.sed away, but very few minutes more, when her soft tap was heard at the door again and herself entered, accompanied with the cup of cocoa and a plate of dainty tiny strips of toast.
”Aunt Dilly left some here,” she said as she presented the cup,--”and she says it is good; and she shewed me how to make it. Aunt Dilly has lived all her life with a brother who has lived a great part of _his_ life with a French wife--so Aunt Dilly has learned some of her ways--and this is one of them.”
But Mr. Linden looked as if he thought 'the way' belonged emphatically to somebody else.
”And so I am under the rule of the blue ribbands still!” he said as he raised himself up to do honour to the cup of cocoa. ”Miss Faith, do you know you are subjecting yourself to the penalty of extra lessons?”
”How, Mr. Linden?”
”Don't you know that is one of the punishments for bad conduct? It's a great act of insubordination to bring one cocoa without leave.”
She laughed, and then paid her attentions to the fire again; after which she stood by the hearth to see the cocoa disposed of, till she came to take the cup.
”Are you in pain, much, Mr. Linden?” she asked as she did this.
”Not mental--” he said with a smile; ”and the physical can be borne Miss Faith, that cocoa was certainly better than I ever had from the hands of anybody's French wife. You must have improved upon the receipt.”
”When Dr. Harrison comes for me this evening, shall he come up and see you again?”
”If he wishes--there is no need else.”
”How did it happen, Mr. Linden?” she said with a very serious face.
”On this wise, Miss Faith. I, walking home at a rather quick pace, was suddenly 'brought to' as the sailors say, by this shot in my arm. But as for the moment it affected the mind more than the body, I turned and gave chase,--wis.h.i.+ng to enquire who had thus favoured me, and why. But the mind alone can only carry one a certain distance, and before I had caught my man I found myself in such danger of fainting that I turned about again, and made the best of my way to the house of Mr. Simlins.
The rest you know.”
”What did the man run for?”
”There is no thread in my nature that just answers that question,” said Mr. Linden. ”I _suppose_ he ran because he was frightened.”
”But what should have frightened him?”
”The idea of my displeasure probably,” said Mr. Linden smiling. ”Have you forgotten my character for cruelty, Miss Faith?”
”_But_--” said Faith. ”Why should he think he had displeased you? He wasn't near you, was he?”
”Why I am not supposed to be one of those amiable people who like to be shot,” said Mr. Linden in the same tone.
”But how near was he, Mr. Linden?”
”Within gunshot range, of course--the precise distance is not easily measured at such a moment.”