your powers of contrivance."

"I cannot contrive. I could keep ray glove on to-night; but I could not
every day. Shall I give it back to you to keep for me?"--she said
looking at it lovingly. "Perhaps that will be best!--What would you
like me to do?"

"Anything _but_ that," he said smiling,--"I should say that would be
worst. You may wear a glove, or glove-finger--what you will; but there
it must stay, and keep possession for me, till the other one comes to
bear it company. In fact I suppose I _could_ endure to have it seen!"

Her eyes went down to it again. Clearly the ring had a charm for Faith.
And so it had, something beyond the glitter of brilliants. Of
jewellers' value she knew little; the marketable worth of the thing was
an enigma to her. But as a treasure of another kind it was beyond
price. His mother's ring, on _her_ finger--to Faith's fancy it bound
and pledged her to a round of life as perfect, as bright, and as pure,
as its own circlet of light-giving gems. That she might fill to him--as
far as was possible--all the place that the once owner of the diamonds
would have looked for and desired; and be all that _he_ would look for
in the person to whom the ring, so derived, had come. Faith considered
it lovingly, with intent brow, and at last lifted her eyes to Mr.
Linden by way of answer; without saying anything, yet with half her
thoughts in her face. His face was very grave--Faith could see a little
what the flashing of that ring was to him; but her look was met and
answered with a fulness of warmth and tenderness which said that he had
read her thoughts, and that to his mind they were already accomplished.
Then he took up one of her books and opened it at the place where she
was to read.

The morning, and the afternoon, went off all too fast, and the sun went
down sullenly. As if to be in keeping with the expected change of work
and company, the evening brought worse weather,--a keener
wind--beginning to bestir itself in earnest, a thicker sky; though the
ground was too snow-covered already to allow it to be very dark. With
anybody but Mr. Linden, Mrs. Derrick would hardly have let Faith go
out; and even as it was, she several times hoped the weather would
moderate before they came home. Faith was so well wrapped up however,
both in the house and in the sleigh, that the weather gave her no
discomfort; it was rather exhilarating to be so warm in spite of it;
and they flew along at a good rate, having