errick occupied herself with reading in the old
family Bible, where she turned over leaf after leaf; but Faith, on a
low seat, sat looking into the remains of the little fire which had
been kindled in the supper room. Looking at the glowing coals and grey
flickering ashes, with a very grave, meditative, thoughtful gaze.

"Mother--" she said at length, turning her face towards Mrs. Derrick's
Bible.

"Well child?" said her mother a little abstractedly.

"I wish, mother, you would ask Mr. Linden to read and pray at
night--and let Cindy and Mr. Skip come in?"

"Why Faith!" said Mrs. Derrick, now fully roused,--"how you talk,
child! Wish I'd do this, and wish I'd let 'tother--don't I let you and
Mr. Linden do pretty much what you've a mind to?"

It was incomprehensible to Faith that her mother's permission should
have to do with any of Mr. Linden's actions; but she merely repeated,

"I wish you'd ask him, mother."

"I guess I will!" said Mrs. Derrick--"when I do you'll know it, and he
too. Ask him yourself, pretty child," she added, looking at Faith with
a very unbent brow.

"But mother," said Faith with a little tinge in her cheeks,--"it would
be much better that you should ask him. You are the person to do it."

"I should like to see you make that out," said Mrs. Derrick. "I don't
think I'm such a person at all."

"Only because you are the head of the family, mother," Faith said with
a little fainter voice.

"Well, if I'm the head of the family I'll do as I like, for once," said
Mrs. Derrick. "I'd like to hear him, I'm sure,--child it would seem
like old times,--but I wouldn't ask him, for a kingdom!"

Faith looked at her, half laughing and grave too--but gave up the
point, seeing she must.

"And while you're about it, Faith, you can just ask him to make his
boys behave. Sam Stoutenburgh did nothing all meeting time but look at
you. So I guess the sermon didn't do _him_ much good."

Faith went back to the contemplation of the fire. However, she
apparently had not made up her mind that _she_ was 'the person,' or
else was not ready to act upon it; for when Mr. Linden was heard
opening the front door Faith ran away, and came down no more that night.

CHAPTER XII.

"It occurs to me, Parson Somers," said that gentleman's lady wife, as
she salted and sugared his morning bowl of porridge; "it occurs to me,
that Pattaquasset is getting stirred up with a long pole."

"Ah, my dear?" said Mr. Somers--"'St