ff his hat, the better to feel the soft river breeze, he
stood as before "looking off into space;" but with one hand resting
more decidedly upon the silk umbrella.

Faith took a minute's view of decidedly pleasant outlines of shoulders
and head--or what she thought such--glanced at the hand which grasped
the umbrella handle,--and then lifting her own fingers to the knocker
of the door, caused it gently to rise and fall.

A somewhat long breath escaped the stranger--as if the sound chimed in
with his thoughts--nothing more.

Faith stood still and waited.

Perhaps that last sound of the knocker had by degrees asserted its
claim to reality; perhaps impatience began to assert _its_ claim;
perhaps that long elm-tree shadow which was creeping softly on, even to
his very feet, broke in upon the muser's vision. Certainly he turned
with a very quick motion towards the door, and a gesture of the hand
which said that this time the knocker should speak out. The door
however stood open,--the knocker beyond his reach; and Miss Faith so
nearly within it, that he dropped his hand even quicker than he had
raised it.

"I beg your pardon!" he said, with a grave inclination of the head. "I
believe I knocked."

"Yes, sir--I thought you had forgotten," said Faith; not with perfect
demureness, which she would like to have achieved. "Will you please to
come in?" And somewhat regardless of consequences, leaving the hall
door where it stood, Faith preceded her guest along the hall and again
performed for him the office of door-opener at the parlour, ushering
him thus into the presence of her mother.

Mrs. Derrick was seated in the rocking-chair, at the furthest corner
from the window, and perfectly engrossed with the last monthly
magazine. But she came out of them all with wonderful ease and
promptness, shook hands very cordially with the new comer, seated him
in her corner and chair before he could make much resistance, and would
also have plunged him into the magazine--but there he was firm.

"If you would only make yourself comfortable while I see where your
baggage is?" said the good lady.

"But I can tell you where it is, ma'am," said he looking up at
her,--"it is at the station, and will be here in half an hour."

"Well when did you have dinner?" said Mrs. Derrick, resolved upon doing
something.

"Yesterday," was his quiet reply. "To-day I have been in the cars."

"O my! my!" said Mrs. Derrick,--"then of course we'll have te