nden."

"Reports seldom kill," said Mr. Linden.

"Don't trust to that!" said another laughing moustache,--"keep 'em this
side the water. By the way--is there any likeness of that fair
foreigner going? How do you fancy _she_ would like reports?"

"When you find out I wish you would let me know," said Mr. Linden with
a little accent of impatience, as he came forward and took Faith in
charge.

CHAPTER III.

It was pretty late when Jerry and his little sleigh-load got clear of
the gates. The stars were as bright as ever, and now they had the help
of the old moon; which was pouring her clear radiance over the snow and
sending long shadows from trees and fences. The fresh air was pleasant
too. Faith felt it, and wondered that starlight and snow and
sleigh-bells were such a different thing from what they were a few
hours before. She chid herself, she was vexed at herself, and humbled
exceedingly. She endeavoured to get back on the simple abstract ground
she had held in her own thoughts until within a day or two; she was
deeply ashamed that her head should have allowed even a flutter of
imagination from Mr. Stoutenburgh's words, which now it appeared might
bear a quite contrary sense to that which she had given them. What was
_she_, to have anything to do with them? Faith humbly said, nothing.
And yet,--she could not help that either,--the image of the possibility
of what Dr. Harrison had suggested, raised a pain that Faith could not
look at. She sat still and motionless, and heard the sleigh-bells
without knowing to what tune they jingled.

It was a quick tune, at all events,--for the first ten or fifteen
minutes Jerry dashed along to his heart's content, and his driver even
urged him on,--then with other sleighs left far behind and a hill
before him, Jerry brought the tune to a staccato, and Mr. Linden spoke.
But the words were not very relevant to either stars or sleigh-bells.

"Miss Faith, I thought you knew me better."

They startled her, for she was a minute or two without answering; then
came a gentle, and also rather frightened,

"Why?--why do you say that, Mr. Linden?"

"Do you think you know me?" he said, turning towards her with a little
bit of a smile, though the voice was grave. "Do you think you have any
idea how much I care about you?"

"I think you do," she said. "I am sure you do--very much!"

"Do you know how much?"--and the smile was full then, and followed by a
moment's silence. "I sha