you and the school since I have been away?"

"Yes, they are good,--my sister--and yours--is enjoying herself
reasonably. And the boys have been good,--and I--have wanted my
Mignonette."

One word in that speech brought a soft play of colour to Faith's face,
but her words did not touch that point.

The days went on very quietly after that, and the weeks
followed,--quietly, regularly, full of business and pleasure. Quick
steps were made in many things during those weeks, little interrupted
by the rest of Pattaquasset, some of the most stirring people of that
town being away. An occasional tea-drinking did steal an evening now
and then, but also furnished the before and after walk or ride, and so
on the whole did little mischief; and as Faith was now sometimes taken
on Mr. Linden's visits to another range of society, she saw more of him
than ever; and daily learned more and more--not only of him, but of his
care for her. His voice--never indeed harsh to any one--took its
gentlest tones to her; his eye its softest and deepest lustre: no
matter how tired he came home--the first sight of her seemed to banish
all thought of fatigue. Faith could feel that she was the very delight
of his life. Indeed, by degrees, she began to understand that she had
long been so--only there had once been a qualification,--now, the
sunshine of his happiness had nothing to check its expression, or its
endeavour to make her life as bright. That he took "continual comfort"
in her, Faith could see.

And--child!--he did not see what this consciousness spurred her to do;
how the strength of her heart spent itself--yet was never spent--in
efforts to grow and become more worthy of him and more fit for him to
take comfort in. The days were short, and Faith's household duties not
few, especially in the severe weather, when she could not let her
mother be tried with efforts which in summer-time might be easy and
pleasant enough. A good piece of every day was of necessity spent by
Faith about house and in the kitchen, and faithfully given to its work.
But her heart spurred her on to get knowledge. The times when Mr.
Linden was out of school could rarely be study times, except of study
with him; and to be prepared for him Faith was eager. She took times
that were hers all alone. Nobody heard her noiseless footfall in the
early morning down the stair. Long before it was light,--hours before
the sun thought of shewing his face to the white Mong and the snow