more quiet, and was even a little bordering
on depression. One or two things helped this uncomfortably.

The sense of the extreme unpleasantness of such a meeting as her mother
had wished for, perhaps startled Faith to a fresh sense of what she had
to do in the premises. She resolved to be as grave and cool as it was
possible to be, in Dr. Harrison's presence. She would keep him at such
a distance as should wean him from any thoughts of her. Faith tried
faithfully to do what she had purposed. But it was very difficult to
keep at a distance a person who did not pretend to be near, or only
pretended it in a line where he could not be repulsed. He must see her
every day as her physician. He must be allowed the kindly expression of
kind feelings; he could not be forbidden to bring to his patient, as
her friend and physician, such things as he thought her strength, or
weakness, needed. These instances of thoughtfulness and care for her
were many. Birds, old wine from his father's cellar, flowers from the
greenhouse, and fruit from nobody knows where, came often; and the
manner of offering them, the quiet, unobtrusive, unexacting kindness
and attention, it was scarce possible to reject without something that
would have seemed churlishness. Faith took them as gravely as she could
without being unkind. Her illness helped her, and also hindered the
effect she wished to produce. Feeling weak and weary and unable for any
sort of exertion, it was the easier for her to be silent, abstracted,
unresponsive to anything that was said or done. And also her being so
signified the less and testified the less of her real purpose. Faith
knew it and could not help it. She could not besides be anything but
natural; and she felt kindly towards Dr. Harrison; with a grave
kindness, that yet was more earnest in its good wishes for him than any
other perhaps that existed for Dr. Harrison in the world. Faith could
not hide that, careful as she was in her manner of shewing it. And
there was one subject upon which she dared not be unresponsive or
abstracted when the doctor brought it up. He brought it up now very
often.

She did not know how it was, she was far from knowing why it was; but
the pleasant talk with which the doctor sought to amuse her, and which
was most skilfully pleasant as to the rest, was very apt to glance upon
Bible subjects; and as it touched, to brush them with the wing of
doubt--or difficulty or--uneasiness. Dr. Harrison did no