rd to the fire, and lifted up her face, and looked at it with eyes
that were not easily satisfied.

"My little Sunbeam," he said, "how lovely you are!"

She had been laughing and flushing with a joy almost as frankly shewn
as his own; but that brought a change over her face. The eyes fell, and
the line of the lips was unbent after a different fashion.

"I don't know what it is like to see you again," Mr. Linden said as his
own touched them once more,--"like any amount of balm and rest and
refreshment! How long have you been here, dear child? and how do you
do?--and have you any idea how glad I am to have you home?"

She answered partly in dumb show, clasping one hand upon his shoulder
and laying down her head upon it. Her words were very quiet and
low-spoken.

"We came home a while ago--and I am very well." Mr. Linden rested his
face lightly upon her shining hair, and was silent--till Faith
wondered; little guessing what thoughts the absence and the meeting and
above all her mute expression, had stirred; nor what bitterness was
wrapped in those sweet minutes. But he put it aside, and then took the
sweetness pure and unmixed; giving her about as much sunshine as he
said she gave him.

"How do you like writing to me, Faith?" he said. "Am I, on the whole,
any more terrific at a distance than near by?"

"I didn't know you could be so good at a distance,"--she said
expressively.

"Did you find out what reception your letters met?"

"I didn't want to find out."

"Do you call that an answer?" he said smiling. "Why didn't you want to
find out?--and _did_ you?"

"Why!"--said Faith,--"I didn't want to find out because it wasn't
necessary. I _did_ find out that I liked to write. But you wouldn't
have liked it if you had known what time of night it was, often."

"What do you think of taking up a new study?" said Mr. Linden. "It
strikes me that it would do you good to stand in the witness-box half
an hour every day,--just for practice. Faith--did you find out what
reception your letters met?"

"I knew before--" she said, meeting his eyes.

"Did you!--then what made you assure me I should not like them?"

"I don't think you did, Endecott--the parts of them that you oughtn't
to have liked."

"Truly I think not!" he said laughing. "You are on safe ground there,
little Mignonette. But speaking of letters--do you want more tidings
from Italy?"

"O yes I if you please. Are they good? And has all been good here with