y set of people; of whom
Faith's friend, Mr. Motley, was one. Faith met their advances
pleasantly, but she was daintily shy. And besides, the scene and the
time were full of temptations to dream over the out-of-door beauty. The
people amused her, but often she would rather have lost them in the
hills or the sunset; and was for various reasons willing that others
should talk while she looked.

So passed the first two days, and the third brought an excursion, which
kept the whole party out till lunch-time. But towards the end of the
day Mr. Linden was witness to a little drama which let him know
something more of Faith than he had just seen before.

It was near the time of dressing for dinner. Mr. Linden was already
dressed and had come to the library, where, in a deep recess on one
side of the window, he was busy with a piece of study. The window was
very large, and opened upon a green terrace; and on the terrace, in a
garden chair, just outside the open window, sat Faith; quietly and
intensely, he knew, enjoying the broad river and the mountain range
that lay blue in the sunlight a few miles beyond; all in the soft still
air of the summer day. She distracted Mr. Linden's thoughts from his
study. He could see her perfectly, though he was quite out of her view.
She was in one of the dainty little morning dresses he had sent her
from the place of pretty things; nothing could be more simple, and it
suited her; and she looked about as soft and still as the day.
Meanwhile some gentlemen had entered the library, and drew near the
window. Faith was just out of their range, and Mr. Linden was
completely hid in his recess, or doubtless their remarks would have had
a different bearing The remarks turned upon Faith, who was here as well
as in New York an object of curiosity to those who had known Mr.
Linden; and one of the speakers expressed himself as surprised that
"Linden" should have married her.

"Wouldn't have thought it,--would you?" said Mr. Motley. "To be sure;
he's able to do all the talking."

"She does very well for the outside," said another. "Might satisfy
anybody. Uncommon eyes."

"Eyes!" said Mr. Motley. "Yes, she has eyes!--and a mouth. I suppose
Linden gets some good of it--if nobody else does. And after all, to
find a woman that is all eyes and no tongue, is, as you remark,
uncommon."

"She's not quite stylish enough for him," said a third. "I thought
Linden would have married a brilliant woman."

"He'l