Volume I Part 101 (2/2)

”Miss Faith, you want to be set to work! Some people will neglect themselves if they have a chance.”

”I haven't done much work since I have been away, Mr. Linden.”

He smiled--what was he reading in her face? ”You don't know what you have done, child,” he said. ”But she looks glad, Mrs. Derrick,--and we are very glad to have her.” Whereupon Faith was conducted to the tea-table without more delay; Mrs. Derrick feeling sure that she was starving both with cold and hunger.

Faith had no appearance of being cold; and though she certainly did eat her supper as if she was glad to be at home, it was not with the air of a person with whom his bread and b.u.t.ter is the first thought. Gladness shone in every look and movement; but at the same time over all the gladness there was a slight veil; it might be gravity, but it might not be all gravity, for part of it was very like constraint; the eyes were more ready to fall than to rise; and the words, though free to come, had a great facility for running in short sentences. But Mrs. Derrick was too happy to notice such light streaks of mist in the suns.h.i.+ne, and talked away at a most unusual rate,--telling Faith how Mr. Linden had ridden that 'wild horse,' and had found time to teach her little cla.s.s, and in general had done everything else--for everything seemed to hinge upon him. Mr. Linden himself--with now and then a word to qualify, or to make Faith laugh, took a somewhat special and quiet care of her and her wants at the table; all which seemed to Faith (in her mood) very like little gentle suggestions at that vail;--otherwise, he was rather silent.

Then followed prayers, with all the sweet warm influences of the time; and then Faith might sit and talk or be silent, as she liked; rest being considered the best work for that evening. It would seem that she liked to be silent,--if that were a fair conclusion from her silence.

Her eye took happy note of the familiar things in and about the room; then she sat and looked into the fireplace, as glad to see it again maybe,--or doubtful about looking elsewhere. As silently, for a few minutes, Mr. Linden took note of her: then he spoke.

”Miss Faith, will you let me give you lessons all through the holidays?”

She gave him a swift blus.h.i.+ng glance and smile. ”If you like to do it, Mr. Linden--and if I am here.”

”Where do you find those two 'ifs'?”

”I thought, perhaps, when I came away from Pequot to-day, that I might go back again after Monday. I am afraid aunt Dilly will want me.”

”How much must people want you, to gain a hearing?”

”There are different kinds of wanting,” Faith said gravely. ”Aunt Dilly may miss me too much.”

”And the abstract 'too much,' is different from the comparative. What about that other 'if'?”

”The other 'if'?--I don't know that there is anything about it, Mr.

Linden,” Faith said laughing.

”Whence did it come?--before it 'trickeled,' as Bunyan says, to your tongue?”

”I don't know, sir!”--

”Miss Faith!--I did not think you would so forget me in three weeks. Do you want to hear the story of a very cold, icy little brook?” he said, with a sort of amused demureness that gave her the benefit of all his adjectives. She looked up at him with earnest eyes not at all amused, but that verged on being hurt; and it was with a sort of fear of what the real answer might be, that she asked what he meant.

”Miss Faith, I mean nothing very bad,” he said with a full smile at her then. ”When I really think you are building yourself an ice palace, I shall spend my efforts upon thawing, not talking. What have you been doing all these weeks?”

With a little bit of answering smile she said, in a deliberate kind of way,--”I have been running about house--and learning how to cook French cookery, Mr. Linden--and most of all, I've been reading the Bible. I haven't had time to do much else.”

”Do you know,” Mr. Linden said as he watched her, ”that is just what I thought?--And so you have been going step by step 'up the mountain'! Do you see how the road improves?--do you find the 'richer pastures' and the purer air?”

”O sir,” said Faith looking up at him,--”I was reading to aunt Dilly.”

”I know,--I understood that. Are not my words true still?”

Gravity and shyness, all except the gravity that belonged to her and to the subject, broke away from Faith. She rose up and stood beside Mr.

Linden, moved, happy, and glad with the gladness of full sympathy.

”It has been a pleasant two weeks, Mr. Linden!--though I would have liked to be at home. Aunt Dilly has wanted the Bible, morning, noon, and night;--and it was wonderful to read it to her! It has been my business, all these days.”

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