lips to his. Roses full of dew are not sweeter; and if
roses were sentient things their kisses could not give sympathy more
fragrantly, nor with more pure quiet. Holding her fast, Mr. Linden
asked what she thought of her share of clerical duties, on the whole?

Faith answered somewhat quaintly, "Not much."

"You don't!--What a triumph for Miss Essie! Were you lonely, Faith?"

She was going to answer, then sprang away from him, for Malthus came to
the door. And the table was spread, with as dainty exactness as if
there were no disorder anywhere in Mr. Linden's household. The little
chocolatiere steamed out its welcome, Malthus was gone, and Faith stood
by Mr. Linden's chair again.

"It is ready, Endecott."

He had watched her from under the shadow of his hand, her soft
arranging steps and touches. "Faith," he said, looking up, "is this the
night when I am to have sugarless tea, to remind me of the
over-sweetened cup of long ago?"

Her smile and flash of the eye were conscious as well as bright. "I
guess, sugar is 'potent' yet, Endy."

"_You_ are!" he said. "Have you been lonely, my dear child? You don't
answer me."

She hesitated a very little. "I felt you were away, Endy--but I didn't
wish you here. No, I wasn't lonely." His eyes spoke a full
understanding of both parts of her sentence. But his words touched
somewhat else.

"Those poor people up on the mountain! poor as unbelief could make
them. Faith, I must go there again in the morning."

"Is it far?"--"Pretty far. On the crest of the ridge."

"What about them, Endy?"

"What were you looking for, here in the embers?"--"I?" she said, the
colour instantly starting as she understood his question. "I was
looking for you, then."

"I was sure of it. I saw myself distinctly portrayed in a piece of
charcoal."

She laughed, gaily and softly. "Wouldn't you like to have some tea, and
then tell me what you saw up on the mountain?" she whispered.--"Ah,
little Sunbeam," he said, "I spent some weary hours there. No, I don't
want to tell you about it to-night. And so at last I came home,
thinking of the scene I had been through, and of you, left alone here
in this strange place. And then I had that vision of my wife."

She was silent, her face showing certainly a grave consciousness that
he was tired, and a full entering into the feeling of his work; but for
herself, a spirit as strong in its foundations of rest, as full of joy
both in his work and in him as a s