h," he said, "suppose (it is a very presumptuous supposition, but
one may _suppose_ anything) suppose when my hands are free to take care
of my Mignonette, that I should have the offer of two or three
different gardens wherein to place her. How should I choose?"

She coloured and looked at him somewhat inquiringly, then turned away
with a kept-in but very pretty smile. "I know," she said, "how you
would choose--and you would not ask me."

"Yes I should, little unbeliever--I ask you now."

"You would go," she said gravely--"where your hands were most wanted."

"There spoke a true Sunbeam!" said Mr. Linden. But perhaps the word--or
something in the changing light of the afternoon--carried his thoughts
on to the night train which was to bear him away; for he left Dr.
Harrison, and baskets, and schemes, in the background; and drawing her
closer to his side talked of her affairs--what she had been doing, what
she meant to do, in various ways,--trying to leave as it were a sort of
network of his care about her. Then came twilight, and Mrs. Derrick and
tea; with Faith's light figure flitting to and fro in preparation; and
then prayers. And then--how fast the clock ticked! how fast the minutes
began to run away!

The storm did not rest,--it blew and beat and poured down as hard as
ever, eddying round the house in gusts that made every word and every
minute within doors seem quieter and sweeter. And the words were many,
and the minutes too--yet they dropped away one by one, and the upper
glass was empty!

CHAPTER XX.

Faith fortified herself with a triple wall of mental resolves against
Dr. Harrison's advances. But when the doctor came again, a night or two
after Thanksgiving, there did not seem to be much that she could do--or
hinder. The doctor's lines of circumvallation were too skilfully drawn
for an inexperienced warrior like Faith to know very well where to
oppose him. He was not in a demonstrative mood at all; rather more
quiet than usual. He had just pushed an advanced work in the shape of
his golden cake; and he rested there for the present.

To Faith's great joy, midway in the evening the doctor's monopoly was
broken by the entrance of Squire Stoutenburgh and a very round game of
talk. Faith seized the opportunity to present her claim for a free
library--answered with open hand on the spot. And when he was gone, she
sat meditating a speech, but she was prevented. The doctor, as if
unconsciously amusing