ohnny Fax; not very unlike what
Johnny Fax might have spoken to her. But there was not a little
physical exhaustion about all this after a while, and Faith found she
must have some help to her memory. She went into the other room.

"I want a bible," she said looking round for it--"Is there one here?"

Yes there was one, but it was Mr. Linden's. That was quickly given her.

"I forgot it at the moment you went in," he said, "and then I did not
like to disturb you. My dear Faith!--" and he held her hand and looked
at her a little wistfully. She brought her other hand upon his, and
looked down and looked up wistfully too; like one with a heart full.

"Can I help you? can I take your place?"

"She won't let you," said Faith shaking her head. "She says she will
see you by and by--but she must take her own time for it."

And Faith went back to her ministrations. Of all bibles, she would have
had that one in her hand then! And yet its companionship bowed down her
heart with a sense of weakness;--but that was the very position for the
next move; a spring beyond weakness to the only real and sufficient
ground of strength.

The afternoon merged into the evening. A tallow candle had been brought
by the attendant into the room in which Mr. Linden was waiting; and its
dim smoky light would have made a dismal place of it if he had had no
other to go by. He could sometimes hear the low tones of a word or two
in the other room; more often the tones were so low that they failed to
reach him. When this state of things had lasted a long time--as it
seemed--there came an interruption in the form of quick steps on the
snow; then the door was pushed open, and Dr. Harrison appeared.

"You here!" was his astonished salutation. "What upon earth has brought
you?"

"I came to bring some one else."

"_She_ isn't here?" said the doctor. "You don't mean that?"

His emphatic pronouns were a little smile-provoking, in spite of the
grave thoughts upon which they intruded--or rather perhaps because of
them; but if Mr. Linden's face felt that temptation, it was only for a
moment,--he answered quietly,

"If you mean Miss Faith, she has been here a long time."

The doctor knew that! if she came when she was called. _He_ had stopped
to eat his dinner.

"I mean her, of course," he said with his tone a little subdued. "I
shouldn't think her mother would have let her come--such a night!--"
Which meant very plainly that Dr. Harrison would not hav