The light brightened and deepened--her colour flushed like a morning
sky,--till at last the first sunbeam struck athwart her face, in the
shape of a smile. It was not a lip smile--it was on eye and brow and
lip and cheek together. Mr. Linden bent down by her, lifting her face
to meet his eyes, which through all their intentness smiled too.

"Faith, I want to hear every word of that."

"Of what?"

"Of all that is in your mind and face just now."

Her two little answering sentences evidently only gave the key of very
deep tones.

"I think it is good, Endy. I am glad."

"I thought you would be. But that does not satisfy me, dear Faith--I
want you to say to me all the different things that your thoughts were
saying to you. You are not afraid of me at this time of day?" he said
bringing her face closer.

"I have nothing to say I need be afraid to say," Faith answered
slowly,--"but it is hard to disentangle so many thoughts. I was
thinking it is such great and high work--such happy work--and such
honour--and then that you will do it right, Endecott--" she
hesitated.--"How could I help but be glad?"

"Do you like your new prospective position, little Sunbeam?"

A deep colour came over her face, and the eyes fell Yet Faith folded
her hands and spoke.

"I was glad to think--" She got so far, but the sentence was never
finished.

"Glad to think what, dear child?"

Faith glanced up. She did not want to answer. Then she said with the
greatest simplicity, "I am glad if I may do something."

"Glad that I should realize my ideal?" Mr. Linden said with a smile,
and softly bringing her face round again. "Faith, do you know what a
dear little 'minister's wife' you will make?--Mignonette is so suitable
for a parsonage!--so well calculated to impress the people with a
notion of the extreme grave propriety which reigns there! For is not
Mignonette always sweet, demure, and never--by any chance!--high
coloured?"

She would not let her face be held up. It went down upon her lap--into
her hands, which she pressed close to hide it.

"Oh Endecott!--" she said desperately.--"You'll have to call me
something else."

"O Faith!" was his smiling reply,--"I will, just so soon as I can.
Don't you want to come over to the sofa and hear the rest of my story?"

"Your story! Oh yes!"--

And first having a sympathizing interview with the fire, Faith went
over to the sofa and sat down; but hid her face no more. Much as he had
done