Volume I Part 85 (1/2)
”Went to Se-vast-a-pool!” said the doctor with perfect gravity. ”I hope you're better!”
”Don't I look well?”
”If I were to take the votes on that subject,” said the doctor, ”I presume the verdict would be unanimous. But looks are proverbially--unsatisfactory! Do you know what damage you have done me by your exploit this afternoon?”
”I should be very glad to hear.”
”Why you have brought me into discredit and disfavour with half Pattaqua.s.set, man, because I have let you go out too soon--don't you see? Mrs. Derrick has already laid it to her account against me--which is getting to be a score I shall never dare to foot up.”
Faith had left the room for a minute, and coming back again began to make ready the table for tea. Dr. Harrison's eyes followed her. She was not looking as she had looked at his anemones; quiet, sweet, and grave, she went round gathering up the books, and arranging the cups and plates. But the doctor, though asked, would not stay. He went off and the tea was brought in.
”Miss Faith,” said Mr. Linden, ”if you are half as ready for that exercise as I am, we shall get on superbly to-night.”
She almost started.
”You, Mr. Linden! Oh you're not fit for it!”
”Not fit for it!--Miss Faith, how can you say that to me?”
”Let it be so to-night, Mr. Linden!”
”I shall do nothing of the kind, Miss Faith, by your leave. You know I can rest here most comfortably, and make you work--after the same fas.h.i.+on, I hope. I am a little afraid,” he said looking at her, ”that you are working too much.”
”Why, Mr. Linden? How could I?”
”By not keeping your studies well balanced with fresh air.”
”O no!” she said smiling. ”The work is a great deal better than the fresh air. Besides, I have been out to-day.”
”You might as well say that bread is a great deal better than water.
Yes, you have been out to-day, that is one good thing. And I shall try to throw somewhat into that scale myself, if I live. But I want all the books to-night, Miss Faith--and to-morrow, you know, is a half holiday, but you need not expect to have one.”
Faith's tea went on after that in a manifestly different manner.
Expeditiously the table was cleared after tea! And if ever Faith wrought with eager care to do perfections and save her teacher every word and thought that could be spared, she did it then. So the exercise was written, with most earnest guarding against anything 'german' or 'sophisticated' in her letters. Indeed Faith's handwriting, by dint of taking pains, was fast growing into stiff correctness--not without a certain beauty, of promise at least, but stiff still. And with all her other lessons, of thought or memory; what earnest quick effort could do was done that night, and done upon the back of a sound preparation.
Mr. Linden however did not spare himself words, riot much, and care not at all; watching and guiding his pretty scholar with equal gravity, gentleness, and attention; rarely diverging from the business view of the subject, unless Faith grew timid or frightened, in which case he indulged himself with making her laugh, and so brought her back to business again. What views Mrs. Derrick took of the two, thus engaged, it would be hard to say; save that they were wondrous pleasant ones--a little puzzled, a little thoughtful, loving and pleased to the last degree. How much she studied those two faces!--not Faith herself bestowed more care upon what she was about. But Faith came to conclusions--Mrs. Derrick never did; wanting help from the very person who cleared the path of learning for her daughter. His face--its gravity, its changes--she could not read; but she liked the study.
The doctor's plan about the Aquarium was excessively distasteful to Mrs. Derrick. She read the meaning and grounds of it, which Faith entirely failed to read; but then to give them to her was hardly an advisable thing. So the Aquarium came, after a few days; and Faith having found that Mr. Linden could give her some help, if necessary, in the care of it, relieved her mind of all concern about the responsibility and took the full good of the trust. In a sunny window it was placed, and many a happy minute between the times of other things Faith stood or sat there to watch the unfolding and shrinking Anemones, and the restless, eager, wild lives of the other and more distinctly animal inhabitants of this little section of Ocean. The only uncomfortable thing about it was that other people sometimes saw it and heard how it came there; and other people, Faith knew, drew very ridiculous inferences from nothing. And though ridiculous they were disagreeable. But however, she knew best how it came there and how simple a matter it was; and it was never the way of her simplicity to trouble itself overmuch about ridiculous things.
Another person, it may be remarked, knew how it got there; and he found it pleasant to come and see it some times. This was generally in the afternoon, now, when Mr. Linden was not at home and Faith was not occupied in household duties. Pleasant talks were held over the Aquarium; for there was never an end of things that might be told of old and new discoveries connected with what was in it. The conversations diverged often to other matters, religious or scientific as the case might be; and were clever, bright, interesting, or amusing accordingly--and invariably.
And so the time wore on towards the 29th. But in the fourth week of Mr.
Linden's return to school duties, Faith began to have a new lesson--or rather she had it once and practised upon it many times. That once was at the end of a Wednesday afternoon, in exquisite Indian summer weather; when other subjects being dismissed for the time, Mr. Linden gave his scholar an interesting and precise account of the process of respiration; pa.s.sing thence to the obvious benefits of fresh air, and finally requesting her to put on her things and come out and take them.
After which, it may be observed, Faith was never heard to say that studies were ”a great deal better than fresh air,”--often as the walk was repeated.
The other lessons made beautiful headway. Even the French talks at dinner. That was harder to Faith than any other trial to which she had been put. She shrank from it with great shrinking. But the desire to please her teacher overcame even fear. Rather than not do that,--Faith ventured, right or wrong; and once fairly launched, of course, with his good help and her own endeavours, soon got into smoother sailing.
Mr. Linden and the doctor now met not often; the doctor making his visits, as has been said, during school time. They met oftenest where the doctor went seldomest,--in those rooms where Dr. Harrison did sometimes let his profession call him, where Mr. Linden was drawn by somewhat beyond profession. Sometimes this intercourse was only of the eye,--sometimes they walked home together; the curious friends.h.i.+p between them deepening, as it seemed, from all sources.