you, Miss Faith?--do you feel 'winter-proof'?"

"I think I do, for to-day," said Faith. "If the evening were to be even
very disagreeable, I think I could stand it."

Which remark was perhaps significant.

The tinkle of Jerry's bells now made itself heard at the door, and
Faith was shawled and cloaked and wrapped up by her mother in the house
and by Mr. Linden in the sleigh. He was more skilful about it than
Squire Stoutenburgh; and contrived to enclose Faith in a little wigwam
of buffalo robes, without letting her feel the weight of them. Then
they dashed off--Jerry well disposed for exercise after his five
minutes' stand, and spurning the snow from a light enough pair of
heels. How merrily the bells jingled! how calmly and steadily the stars
shone down! There was no moon now, but the whitened earth caught and
reflected every bit of the starlight, and made it by no means dark; and
the gleams from cottage windows came out and fell on the snow in little
streaks of brightness. Sleighs enough abroad!--from the swift little
cutters and large family sleighs that glided on towards the parsonage,
down to sledding parties of boys, cheered only by a cow-bell and their
own laughter. Tinkle, tinkle--everywhere,--near by and in the distance;
the dark figures just casting a light shadow on the roadside, the merry
voices ignoring anything of the kind.

Mrs. Somers' house was a good long drive from Mrs. Derrick's. The road
was first on the way to Mr. Simlins'; from there it turned off at right
angles and went winding crookedly down a solitary piece of country;
rising and falling over uneven ground, twisting out of the way of a
rock here and there, and for some distance skirting the edge of a
woodland. There was light enough to see by, but it was not just the
piece of road one would choose of a dark night; and Faith felt thankful
Squire Deacon was gone to Egypt.

CHAPTER II.

In the dressing-room Faith was seized upon in the warmest manner by
Mrs. Stoutenburgh, who looked very pretty in her dress of bright
crimson silk.

"I'm so glad you've come back, dear. And how well you're looking!--a
little thin, though. But you'll soon make up for that. You're just as
lovely as you can be, Faith--do you know it?"

"No, ma'am."--Her _flowers_, she knew, were as lovely as they could be.
"Jerry brought us, Mrs. Stoutenburgh, after all, and pretty fast too."

"O he can go fast enough. You needn't look so sober, child--of course
no