Volume Ii Part 93 (2/2)

”Stay here, Endy--please!” she said as she threw down her towel and ran off. But Faith's hope of a chance was disappointed. She ushered somebody into the sitting-room and came back gravely and flushed to Mr.

Linden.

”It's Mr. Somers--and he wants to see you, Endecott!”

Faith went at her tumblers, and simultaneously, greatly to the dismay of one party as to the surprise of the other, in walked Mr. Somers after her.

”Miss Derrick told me you were in this room, sir,” said the clergyman shaking Mr. Linden's hand,--”so I came in. Ha! I am glad to be one of the first to welcome you back. How do you do, Mr. Linden? You've been a great while from Pattaqua.s.set!--and you've been missed, I don't doubt.”

Apparently not by Mr. Somers! But Mr. Linden met all the advances as he should, merely stating his belief in the general proposition that ”there is always somebody to miss everybody.”

”Will you take a seat here, sir?” he said--”or may I go with you to the next room?”

”I--have no choice,” said Mr. Somers looking benignantly around;--”it is very pleasant here, very!--cool;--perhaps Miss Derrick will have no objection to our taking our seats here?”

Faith did not say, but as Mr. Somers had taken her leave for granted, and his seat consequently, she was saved that trouble. How she reddened at the thought of the roses with which she was dressed! And there she stood in full view, was.h.i.+ng her spoons! But Mr. Somers looked the other way.

”I--I am very happy to see you again, Mr. Linden--very happy indeed, sir! I heard from Squire Stoutenburgh that you were expected, and I lost no time. How have you enjoyed your health, sir, this year? A year's a long time! isn't it?”

Mr. Linden, taking his seat as in duty bound, looked abstractedly at Faith and the spoons and the roses, and answered according to the evidence.

”Yes, Mr. Somers,--and yet it depends very much upon how far the two ends of the year are apart in other respects. The 'Voyage autour de ma chambre' could never _seem_ very long, whatever time it took.”

”Ha!”--said Mr. Somers blandly,--he hadn't the remotest idea what this speech might mean,--”no. Did you have a good pa.s.sage coming over? We had every sign of it.”

”Very good,”--said Mr. Linden smiling,--”and very stormy.”

”Ah?”--said Mr. Somers,--”very good and very stormy? Well I shouldn't have thought that. But I suppose you have got to be such a traveller that you don't mind which way the wind blows, if it blows you on, ha?--like Dr. Harrison. _He_ never minds the weather. Dr. Harrison's a great loss to Pattaqua.s.set too,” said Mr. Somers looking at Faith and smiling a little more openly;--”all our--ha!--our pleasantest members of society seem to be running away from us! That's what Mrs. Somers says.”

”One more spoon--and put them up,”--thought Faith,--”and then I'll be away!”--

”But I've come to see if I can't get you to do me a favour, Mr.

Linden,” said Mr. Somers withdrawing his eyes and mind from her.

”I--should be very much obliged to you indeed! I'm almost afraid to ask, for fear I sha'n't get it.”

Faith wiped her spoon slowly.

”I like to do favours,” said Mr. Linden,--”at least I think I should.

But I cannot imagine how you can give me a chance, Mr. Somers.”

”Don't you think it would be a great gratification to all your old friends in Pattaqua.s.set, if you would consent to fill my pulpit next Sunday? They--I believe they'd come from all over the country!--and it would be--a--it would be a very great gratification indeed to me. Can't I prevail with you?”

Faith had ceased her work and was standing quite still, with bended head, and cheeks which had gathered their colour into two vivid spots.

On those carnations Mr. Linden's eyes rested for a moment, with a strange feeling of pleasure, of emotion. The sort of touched smile upon his lips when he spoke, did not, it may be said, belong to Mr. Somers.

His answer was very simple and straightforward.

<script>