Volume I Part 87 (1/2)
”You play blind man's buff, don't you, dear?”
”When I can,” said Faith.
”The real question, Miss Faith,” said Mr. Linden, whose grave unmoved look--unmoved unless by a little fear that she might be annoyed--would have been some help to her during her cross-examination if she had seen it,--”the real question is, whether you are willing to play to-night.”
”I am as willing as can be,” said Faith.
”I don't know whether they'll want to play it,” said Mrs. Stoutenburgh, ”but they may; and Sam's never content unless I'm in the fun, whatever it is.”
”Of course Miss Faith will play,” said the Squire,--”she never refuses to please anybody.”
”Mr. Linden said he would,” said Sam.
”But how shall you and I manage, Faith?” said Mrs. Stoutenburgh.
”They'd tell us in a minute by our dresses--as there are only two of us.”
Faith pondered this difficulty with an amused face.
”Sam must lend us some of his jackets or coats, Mrs. Stoutenburgh. Our heads are the worst,--or mine is--you and Sam might be mistaken for each other.”
”But there'd be no use in Miss Faith's disguising herself,” said Sam naively, ”because she's so sweet.”
”You wouldn't have her disguise that, would you, Sam?” said Mr. Linden laughing.
”What a boy!” said his mother,--”and what a reflection upon me!”
”Why I meant her flowers!” said Sam,--”you needn't all laugh so. I don't mean either that I didn't mean--” but what more he meant Sam left unsaid, which did not much stay the laughter.
”I will appoint two or three boys to play the part of the pigeon in hawking,” said Mr. Linden,--”Miss Faith might get tired of being caught, if not of running away.”
”How do you know that, Mr. Linden?” she said a little archly.
”Truly,” he answered, ”I know it not--but most things are possible, even in blind man's buff. And all boys are not provided with silk gloves. But you shall not complain of not being caught--I promise you that.”
”Again!” she said with another soft flash of her eye, though now she coloured. ”Don't you understand, Mr. Linden, that I don't intend to let anybody catch me?--if I can help it.”
”Miss Faith, I have the most entire confidence in your intentions!”
Faith kept her energies for action, and said no more. And in a very harmonious temper the whole party left the dinner table and went back to the fire-lit parlour. All but Sam, who went to be ready for his particular guests in another room.
His place was presently supplied by a new-comer. There was a step in the hall--then the parlour door opened, and a little lady with a shawl round her shoulders, came in.
”Good evening!” she said in a very cheery voice. ”Why I didn't expect to find so many of you! Is it a party, Mrs. Stoutenburgh,--and shall I go away? or will you let me come in, now I've got here?”
”Come in, come in, Miss Essie, and make it a party,” said the Squire; while Mrs. Stoutenburgh took off the shawl and answered,
”Go away? why of course not! It's only Sam's birth-day--you're not afraid of boys, I guess.”
”I'm not afraid of anything,” said Miss Essie, and her bright black eyes said it too. ”Isn't that Mr. Linden?--yes, I thought so. And Faith Derrick!--my! child, how you're dressed. What sort of a party have you got, Mrs. S.?”
”Why, boys!” said Mrs. Stoutenburgh, while Mr. Linden said,