urried fingers, she covered that and his face with kisses--with a kind
of eager tenderness that could not say enough nor put enough love and
reverence into every touch. All this while she was still; she did not
shed tears at all, as some women would have done; and she said not one
word.

Perhaps surprise made him passive: perhaps the soothing of her caresses
was too sweet and too much needed to be interrupted, even by a return.
He let her have her way, nor even raised his eyes. One arm indeed was
round her, but it left her free to do what she liked. If Faith needed
any light on what the morning's work had been, it was furnished by
those few minutes. Only at last, with a sudden motion Mr. Linden
brought her lips to his, and gave her back principal and interest.

"You blessed child!" he said. "Are you a veritable angel already?"--"I
should have brought you a palm-branch, Endy." For almost the first time
he had ever heard it so, Faith's voice was unsteady.

Had she not done it? Mr. Linden did not say so, as he took grave note
of her pale cheeks. Presently rising up he passed his arm round her,
and took her up the bank to the rest of the party, nor let go his hold
till she was seated between Mrs. Rye and himself. Then from the fern
leaf in his hand, he proceeded to give them both an account of ferns in
general--living and fossil, extant and extinct; with his usual happy
skill and interest, and--except that the lips never broke into a
smile--with just his usual manner. And never had the grave depth of eye
been more beautiful, more clear. Not Faith alone watched it with loving
admiration, but no one any more than she ventured word or look of
sympathy.

When at last the various groups began to draw in towards a centre, and
ladies put on their riding hats, and grooms were buckling girths again,
Mr. Middleton with two or three others was seen advancing towards Mr.
Linden's quarter. Mrs. Rye rose hastily.

"I am sorry to find that I made a mistake, sir," said Middleton, with a
sort of unwilling courtesy; "I was under misinformation--and I was not
aware of your profession. I beg your pardon for what has occurred."

Mr. Linden had risen too, and with folded arms and the most unmoved
face stood watching the party as they came up.

"It is granted," he said, offering his hand. "But permit me to say, Mr.
Middleton, that you made a third mistake, equally great if the other
two had not existed."

Mr. Middleton's private thoughts