Volume Ii Part 9 (2/2)
”Now, pretty child,” she said, softly stroking the uncovered cheek, ”keep your hands down and tell me all about it. I don't mean every word,” she added smiling, ”but all you like to tell.”
But Faith could not do that. She made very lame work of it. She managed only with much difficulty to give her mother a very sketchy and thin outline of what she wanted to know; which perhaps was as much as Mrs.
Derrick expected; and was given with a simplicity as bare of additions as her facts were. A very few words told all she had to tell. Yes, her mother was satisfied,--she loved to hear Faith speak those few words, and to watch her the while--herself supplying all deficiencies; and then was content that her child should lie still and go to sleep, if she chose--it was enough to look at her and think: rejoicing with her and for her with a very pure joy, if it was sometimes tearful.
Faith presently changed her position, and gave a very particular attention to the smoothing of the hair over her mother's forehead. Then pulling her cap straight, and giving her a finis.h.i.+ng look and kiss, she took a low seat close beside her, laid one of her study books on her mother's lap, resting one arm there fondly, and went hard to work remarking however that Mrs. Derrick might talk as much as she liked and she would talk too. But Mrs. Derrick either did not want to talk, or else she did not want to interrupt; for she watched Faith and smiled upon her, and stroked her hair, and said very little.
Just at the end of the afternoon, when Faith was finis.h.i.+ng her work by firelight, Mr. Linden came in. She did not see the look that pa.s.sed between her mother and him--she only knew that they held each other's hands for a minute silently,--then one of the hands was laid upon her forehead.
”Little student--do you want to try the fresh air?”
She said yes; and without raising her eyes, ran off to get ready. In another minute she was out in the cool freshness of the December twilight.
CHAPTER IV.
The walk lasted till all the afterglow had faded and all the stars come out, and till half Pattaqua.s.set had done tea; having its own glow and starlight, and its flow of conversation to which the table talk was nothing.
Of course, Faith's first business on reaching home was to see about the tea. She and Mrs. Derrick were happily engaged together in various preparations, and Mr. Linden alone in the sitting-room, when the unwelcome sound of a knock came at the front door; and the next minute his solitude was broken in upon.
”Good evening!” said the doctor. ”Three-quarters of a mile off 'I heard the clarion of the unseen midge!' so I thought it was best to come to close quarters with the enemy.--There is nothing so annoying as a distant humming in your ears. How do you do?” He had come up and laid his hand on Mr. Linden's shoulder before the latter had time to rise.
”What a perverse taste!” Mr. Linden said, laughing and springing up.
”All the rest of the world think a near-by humming so much worse.”
”Can't distinguish at a distance,” said the doctor;--”one doesn't know whether it's a midge or a dragon-fly. How is Mignonette? and Mignonette's mother?”
”They were both well the last time I saw them. In what sort of a calm flutter are you, doctor?”
”Do you think that is my character?” said the doctor, taking his favourite position on the rug.
”You go straight to the fire--like all the rest of the tribe,” said Mr.
Linden.
”Is it inconsistent with the character of such an extra ordinary midge, to go straight to the mark?”
”n.o.body ever saw a midge do that yet, I'll venture to say.”
”And you are resolved to act in character,” said the doctor gravely.
”You have got clean away from the point. I asked you last night to tell me what you thought of me. We are alone now--do it, Linden!”
”Why do you want to know?”
”I don't know. A man likes to talk of himself--cela s'entend--but I care enough about you, to care to know how I stand in your thoughts. If you asked me how I stand in my own, I could not tell you; and I should like to know how the just balances of your mind--I'm not talking ironically, Linden,--weigh and poise me;--what sort of alloy your mental tests make me out. No matter why!--indulge me, and let me have it. I presume it is nothing better than philosophical curiosity. I am--every man is to himself--an enigma--a mystery;--and I should like to have a sudden outside view--from optics that I have some respect for.”
”I gave you the outside view last night,” Mr. Linden said. But then he came and stood near the doctor and answered him simply; speaking with that grave gentleness of interest which rarely failed to give the speaker a place in people's hearts, even when his words failed of it.
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