ed."

"Thank you, Mr. Linden," she said with a grateful smile. "That is just
the truth. But, do you think Dr. Harrison is--exactly a Philistine?"

"Not in all respects," he said smiling. "What do you mean by a
Philistine?"

"I thought you put him in the place of _that_ Philistine," she said.

"Yes, for the illustration. But I do not know him to be strictly a
_champion_ of unbelief, although he avows himself on that side. His
conversations with me have left me uncertain how far he would go."

Faith was silent and looked thoughtful.

"Have I touched any of your difficulties? May I hear any more?"

"No--" she said. "I believe you have said all you can say. And it is
good for me."

"I have not said all I _could_ say, but it is not easy for me to talk
to you about it at all. You see, Miss Faith," said Mr. Linden smiling,
"there cannot be such an anomaly in nature as a philosophical bird--so
what am I to do?"

Faith smiled a little and thought that as long as he gave her the
benefit of his philosophy, it did not much matter. Which recondite view
of the subject she did not put into words.

The days began to roll on smoothly once more, subsiding into their old
uneventful flow. The flow of talk indeed had not quite subsided; but as
nothing came to throw any light on the point of the unknown sportsman
who chose his sport so strangely, curiosity took a modified, condensed
form; and the whole matter was stowed away in people's minds as the one
Pattaquasset mystery. Happy Pattaquasset!

Even Mr. Linden's protracted confinement to the house made little
difference to most, he had been so little seen when he was able to be
out: only the boys had had his daylight hours; and where he had spent
those times of twilight and evening when he was not at home, no one
knew but the poor unknown class who mourned his absence as they had
blessed his presence, in secret. The boys were not silent,--but they
had the indemnification of going to see him, and of watching--or
sleeping--in his room at night, according to their various
dispositions. There came all his scholars on Sunday,--met by Faith on
her contrary way; there came the whole school by turns, and at all
hours. Indeed when once the embargo upon visiters was taken off, the
supply was great!--and without careful measures on the part of Mr.
Linden, French exercises would have been put aside with a witness. But
he made two or three rules, and carried them out. In the first place he