h her hand, and
leaning upon it looked into the fire for suggestions. Finally answered
sedately, "I should think you and he might have it together!"

"Have it--yes, if we could get it; but I am ignorant of any but the
chemical properties of milk and sugar."

"I thought you said you knew cream when you saw it!" said Faith from
behind her shield.

"That is knowing its appearance--not its properties, Miss Reason."

"What does reason want to know more, for a cup of tea?"

"But you have declared once to-night that I am not Reason," said Mr.
Linden laughing. "For instance--I once made the sudden acquaintance of
a particular person, who made as sudden an impression on my
mind,--after those three minutes I should have known her by sight (like
cream) to the end of my life. But I went on trying experiments--(as one
might taste successive drops of cream) finding out more and more
sweetness each time; until (like cream again) I discovered that she was
perfectly indispensable to my cup of tea!"

Faith bowed her glad little head, laughing, though feeling much deeper
was at work.

"After this," she said, "I shall always be greatly at a loss what you
are thinking of when you are looking at me."

"Will your reflections be carried on with such a face?" said Mr.
Linden. "Do you remember that afternoon, Faith?--when I so nearly laid
hold of you--and you wanted to laugh, and did not dare?"

"What afternoon?"--

"The one wherein I first had the pleasure of seeing you. How demurely
you eyed me!--and wondered in your little sensible heart what sort of a
person I could possibly be!"

"How did you know I wondered?" said Faith colouring.

"By your very gentle, modest, and fearful examinations, your evident
musings over my words, and the bright look now and then that told of
progress."

Faith laughed.

"You made me begin to think and wish immediately," she said.--"It was
no wonder I wondered."

"Yes, and how I longed to give you your wish, so far as I could,--and
how afraid I was to offer my services,--and how you would persist in
thanking me for pleasing myself, do you remember, little Sunbeam?--and
your fright when I asked about Prescott?"

She looked up with the prettiest, rosiest remembrance of it all; and
then her face suddenly changed, and turning from him she shielded it
again with her hand, but not to hide the rosy colour this time. Mr.
Linden drew her close to him, resting his face upon her other cheek at
first wit