herself there on purpose,--let the reader suppose
what he likes.

At the time, then, that the village clock was striking four, when
meditative cows were examining the length of their shadows, and all the
geese were setting forth for their afternoon swim, a stranger opened
Mrs. Derrick's little gate and walked in. Stretching out one hand to
the dog in token of good fellowship, (a classical mind might have
fancied him breaking the cake by whose help Quickear got past the
lions,) he went up the walk, neither fast nor slow, ascended the steps,
and gave what Mrs. Derrick called "considerable of a rap" at the door.
That done, he faced about and looked at the far off blue Mong.

Not more intently did he eye and read that fair river; not more swiftly
did his thoughts pass from the Mong to things beyond human ken; than
Mrs. Derrick eyed and read--his back, and suffered her ideas to roam
into the far off regions of speculation. The light summer coat, the
straw hat, were nothing uncommon; but the silk umbrella was too good
for the coat--the gloves and boots altogether extravagant!

"He ain't a bit like the Pattaquasset folks, Faith," she said, in a
whisper thrown over her shoulder to her daughter.

"Mother--"

Mrs. Derrick replied by an inarticulate sound of interrogation.

"I wish you wouldn't stand just there. Do come away!"

"La, child," said Mrs. Derrick, moving back about half an inch, "he's
looking off into space."

"But he'll be in.--"

"Not till somebody goes to the door," said Mrs. Derrick, "and there's
not a living soul in the house but us two."

"Why didn't you say so before? Must I go, mother?"

"He didn't seem in a hurry," said her mother,--"and I wasn't. Yes, you
can go if you like, child--and if you don't like, I'll go."

With a somewhat slower step than usual, with a slight hesitating touch
of her hand to the smooth brown hair which lay over her temples, Miss
Faith moved through the hall to the front door, gently opened it, and
stood there, in the midst of the doorway, fronting the stranger. By no
means an uncomely picture for the frame; for the face was good, the
figure trim, and not only was the rich hair smooth, but a little white
ruffle gave a dainty setting to the throat and chin which rose above
it, both themselves rather on the dainty order.

I say fronting the stranger,--yet to speak truth the stranger was not
fronting her. For having made one more loud appeal to the knocker,
having taken o