y submitted and
held out her plate. Whereupon, having helped her and himself, the
stranger diverged a little, with the rather startling question,

"What sort of a Flora have you in this neighbourhood?"

"There isn't any, mother?" said Faith, with a doubtful appeal towards
the tea-tray.

A pleasant look fell upon her while her look went away--a look which
said he would like to tell her all about the matter, then and there;
but merely taking another of the white biscuits, he went on to ask
whether the roads were good and the views fine.

"The roads are first-rate," said Mrs. Derrick. "I don't know much of
views myself, but Faith thinks they're wonderful."

"I don't suppose they are _wonderful_," said Faith; "but it is pretty
up the Mong, and I am sure, mother, it's pretty down on the shore
towards the sunsetting."

"And how is it towards the sunrising?"

"I never saw it--we never go down there then," Faith said, with a very
frank smile.

"Faith always stays by me," said Mrs. Derrick; "if I can t go, she
won't. And of course I never can at that time of day. It's quite a way
down to the shore."

"What shore?"

"It's the sea-shore--that is, not the real sea-shore--it's only the
Sound," said Faith; "but there is the salt-water, and it is as good as
the sea."

"How far off?" said the stranger, bestowing upon Faith a saucer of
strawberries.

Faith would have asked him to help himself, but taking notice mentally
that he was extremely likely to do so, she contented herself with
replying, "It's about two miles."

"And what are some of the 'good' things there?"

"Perhaps you wouldn't think it much," said Faith modestly;--"but the
water is pretty, and I like to see the ships and vessels on it going up
and down; and the points of the shore and the wet stones look such
beautiful colours when the sun is near set."

"I like stones--whether wet or dry," said her questioner.

"Most people here don't like them," said Faith. "But there are plenty
down by the sea-shore.--And plenty on the farm too," she added.

"Ah, people like and dislike things for very different reasons, Miss
Faith," he answered; "so perhaps your neighbours and I are not so far
apart in our opinions as you may think. Only I believe, that while
there is 'a time to cast away stones,' there is also 'a time to gather
stones together'--and therein perhaps they would not agree with me."

Faith looked up, and her lips parted--and if the thought had been