it here and work, I suppose."

"I'll tell you what she ought to do," the doctor went on impressively.
"She ought to do what the flowers do when the sun goes down,--shut up
her sweetness to herself, see and be seen by nobody, and cease to be
conscious of her own existence."

Faith laughed, in a way that gave doubtful promise of following the
directions. The doctor stood looking down at her, took her hand and
gallantly kissed it, and finally took himself off.

"There is a good little trial of my patience!" Mr. Linden said. "I
don't know but it is well he is going away, for I might forget myself
some time, and bid him hands off."

At which Faith looked thoughtful.

"Faith," Mr. Linden said, gently raising her face, "would you like to
live at Quilipeak?"

The answer to that was a great rush of colour, and a casting down of
eyes and face too as soon as it was permitted.

"Well?" he said smiling--though she felt some other thread in the
voice. "What did you think of the words that passed between the doctor
and me? Would you like to have me agree to his proposal?"

"You would do what is best," she said with a good deal of effort. "I
couldn't wish anything else."--

He answered her mutely at first, with a deep mingling of gravity and
affection, as if she were very, very precious.

"My dear little child!" he said, "if anything on earth could make me do
it, it would be you!--and yet I cannot."

She looked up inquiringly; but except by that look, she asked nothing.

"You strengthen my hands more than you weaken them," he said. "I am so
sure that you would feel with me!--I know it so well! I have a long
story to tell you, dear Faith,--some time, not now," he added, with a
sort of shadow coming over his face. "Will you let me choose my own
time? I know it is asking a good deal."

"It would be asking a great deal more of me to choose any other," Faith
said with a sunny smile. "I like that time best."

He passed his hand softly once or twice across her forehead, giving her
a bright, grateful look, though a little bit of a sigh came with it
too,--then drew her arm within his and led her slowly up and down the
room.

But after dinner, and after one or two more lessons--under careful
guardianship, Faith was persuaded to lay herself on the sofa and rest,
and listen,--first to various bits of reading, then to talk about some
of her photographic pictures; the talk diverging right and left, into
all sorts of paths, fiction