d the doctor comically. "Ladies and
gentlemen--please amuse yourselves."--

He had no intention of helping them, it seemed, for he stood fast in
his place and talked to Mr. Linden in a different tone till the minutes
were run out. No thing could be more motionless than the occupant of
the chair.

"Miss Faith," Mr. Linden said then, "it is a little hard to pass from
one inquisitor to another--but I must hand you over to Miss Essie."

Faith's glance at him expressed no gratification. Meanwhile the doctor
had gone for Miss Essie and brought her up to the fireplace.

"Miss Derrick," said the black-eyed lady, "I wish you to tell--as the
penalty of your forfeit--why, when you thought the Rhododendron the
most perfect flower, you did not take it for your name?"

If anybody had known the pain this question gave Faith--the leap of
dismay that her heart made! Nobody knew it; her head drooped, and the
colour rose again to be sure; but one hand sheltered the exposed cheek
and the other was turned to the fire. She could not refuse to answer,
and with the doctor's weapons she would not; but here, as once before,
Faith's straightforwardness saved her.

"Why didn't you call yourself Rhodora?" repeated Miss Essie. And Faith
answered,--

"Because another name was suggested to me."

The question could not decently be pushed any further; and both Miss
Essie and the doctor looked as if they had failed. Faith's own tumult
and sinking of heart prevented her knowing how thoroughly this was true.

"And you two people," said Mr. Linden, "come and ask Miss Derrick why
she chose to appropriate a character that she thought fell short of
perfection!--what is the use of telling anybody anything, after that?"

"I am only one people," said Miss Essie.

"I am another," said the doctor; "and I confess myself curious.
Besides, a single point of imperfection might be supposed, without
injury to mortal and human nature."

"Julius," said Miss Harrison, "will you have the goodness to do so
impolite a thing as to look at your watch? Aunt Ellen will expect us to
set a proper example. Dear Faith, are you bound to sit in that big
chair all night?"

Then there was a general stir and break-up of the party. One bit of
conversation Faith was fated to hear as she slowly made her way out of
the dressing-room door, among comers and goers: the first speaker was a
young De Staff.

"Since that shooting affair there's been nothing but reports about you,
Li