ht have been a vision (only that
_vision_ it was not)--it might have been reality; wrapped up in her
book, what should Faith know? Yet when some crisis was turned over with
the leaf, and the real world began to supplant the unreal, Faith
started up and looked round. Had she heard a step? a rustling of paper
on the table? The door was firmly shut, the shadowy corner near by had
lost the sunbeams, but was else unchanged; the table looked just as
before--unless--Had there been a letter lying there when she came
in?--Faith never could tell.

The door opened now, however, and Mrs. Derrick entered--peering in
somewhat anxiously.

"Why here you are, pretty child!" she said, "I began to think you were
lost! Mrs. Somers has been here, and so's Miss Harrison, and they
wanted to see you ever so much. I don't think that's a good cheese we
cut last night, Faith,--I guess I'll cut another."

Faith was an image of innocent guilt; and without daring to ask if it
was tea-time, she ran down stairs. Her mother followed and stood by,
not with any thought of overseeing but for the pleasure thereof.

"Well child," she said, "are you learning all the world up? What's in
the oven now?"

"Don't you think that is good?"--

The question had reference to the freshly cut cheese, of which Faith
presented her mother with a small morsel. Mrs. Derrick
tasted--critically, but the first topic was the most interesting.

"What's made your cheeks burn?" she said laying her hand softly against
the rose-colour. "If you're going to study yourself into a fever,
Faith, _I_'m not going to stand by and see it."

"No fear, mother. I forgot myself. Is Mr. Linden come in?"

"He must be--he always is by this time. Miss Harrison says the Doctor's
got back, Faith."

Faith took up her cheese and walked in with it. The tea-table stood
alone. But the tea hour being come, and Mr. Linden known to be surely
there within five minutes of the tea hour, the tea was made--and not a
minute too soon.

Faith was not on this occasion talkative, nor anybody else. The meal
proceeded rather silently. Spoons spoke in low tones, knives made
themselves busy; and Cindy put her head in at the door and withdrew it
with the mental ejaculation,

"My! if they baint settin' there yet!"

At this point Mr. Linden spoke. "And so, Miss Faith, you have no fancy
for nuts to crack?"

Faith flushed a little and hesitated.

"I didn't say so, Mr. Linden."

"Have you any dislike to Nean