Will she never sit on the same floor with me under _any_
circumstances?"

"More than you deserve!" said Miss Essie. "You to be pitied, indeed!
You know the man has the stir, and the talk, and the going from place
to place, and the being looked up to, and the having everybody at his
feet; and what has she?"

Mr. Linden did not answer, even with his eyes, which were looking down;
and the smile which came at Miss Essie's last words, was clearly not
meant for her. His wife would have something--so it said and
asserted,--and his wife was not an indefinite, imaginary person,--it
said that too. And she was worth all that could be laid at her feet.
How much he had to lay there--what homage _his_ homage was--even of
this the face gave unconscious token. Miss Essie looked, and read it or
at least felt it, much more than she could well have put into words.
Then taking in review Faith's bowed head, she turned and spoke in quite
a different tone.

"There is no use in talking to people, Mrs. Derrick. After all, mayn't
I have Faith?"

"To spend the day? Oh no, Miss Essie!--she's not strong enough," said
Mrs. Derrick, rising from the table and beginning to put the cups
together. Faith left the party and went to the fire, which in the
advanced state of the May morning needed no tending.

"Yet she must spend the day somewhere," said Miss Essie wheeling round.
"Faith!--what are you going to do with yourself?"

"Nothing, Miss Essie,"--came softly from the fire-mender. But as her
hand moved to and fro with the tongs, the sparkle of the diamonds
caught Miss Essie's eye.

"Child!--how did you get that?"--she exclaimed, springing to her side
and arresting the tongs. Faith's low "I don't know, ma'am"--was
inimitable. It was well neither lady had sight of Mr. Linden's face.

"It's very beautiful!" said Miss Essie, controlling herself into some
order, and poring over the little hand she had made captive. "I never
saw a greater beauty of a ring--never. Do you know what it means,
Faith?" She dropped her voice and tapped significantly the finger.

Faith answered like a person put to the question,--"Yes."

"Do you?" said Miss Essie in the same low aside and half laughing. "I
am so glad. I always thought it. But this is splendid, Faith. _You_
don't know how handsome it is. It is easy to know where this came from.
I needn't ask."

"I must ask you both to sit down," said Mr. Linden,--"Faith is not
strong enough for much standing, Miss Essi