r pupils' improvement
and--regard!"

"Yes sir--their regard is very precious to me," was the quiet reply.

"I should think so! Why there's that boy Reuben Taylor--strange father
that boy has--fisherman;--I met that boy this evening, in the street,
and he was crying,--down a little below here--he was going home. I
asked him--ha--if Mr. Linden had been dealing hardly with him?--and I
declare!--I didn't know but Reuben would have attacked me on the spot."

"Has Mr. Linden a character in the village for cruelty?" said Faith.

"I--I declare--not that I know of, Miss Faith. I should think it could
not be deserved. That boy's attachment is certainly--ha--very warm. My
dear Mrs. Derrick, how well Miss Faith is looking! She always looks
well; but to-night--ha--the colour of her cheeks is--to be remarked."

"You will get a character for cruelty, Miss Faith," said Mr. Linden,
"if you ask about my character before my face."

Faith looked up as if she would willingly have asked a question; but
that being in present circumstances impossible, she merely uttered a
quiet little 'no,' and went on with her tea and with a colour still
further improved, A quiet little 'yes,' of about equal prominence, did
not divert the attention of Mr. Somers from his own remarks.

"It's delightful to see--really," said that gentleman. "But Mr.
Linden--ha--I am sorry to find that you haven't the good will of our
neighbour, Squire Deacon. The Squire's a valuable man--very!--the
Squire's a valuable man in the town. I am sorry. Do you know, Mr.
Linden--ha--how it has happened?"

"Have you asked the Squire himself, sir?" said Mr. Linden.

"Why--no, sir, I haven't. I--ha--wanted to get at the truth of it, that
I might, if possible, do something to heal the breach. Now you are
doing a valuable work in Pattaquasset, sir--I should be sorry to see it
interrupted--very--and I thought the best way would be to try to find
out what the matter was, in order if possible to its being removed. And
to get at the truth it is often best to hear both sides."

"But I have no side to tell, sir," said Mr. Linden--smiling in spite of
himself. "I cannot deny that Squire Deacon seems to withhold his good
will--I think it is for him to tell his reasons."

"Then you really have no idea what it can be about? and I may tell him
so? Because that would be a great point."

"No sir, you may not tell him that."

"Then you _have_ an idea what the matter is?" said Mr. Somers eage