e."

"I can't sit down--I'm going away," said the lady. "I'll tell Sophy she
may expect you the first day you can go out for so long,"--she went on
renewing her half whisper to Faith. "Does she know of this?"--touching
the diamonds which Miss Essie had not yet let go.

"No, Miss Essie--" Faith stood in great confusion. Mr. Linden left the
table, and gently disengaging her from Miss Essie placed her in the
great chair, and stood resting one hand on the back of it.

"Miss Essie," he said, "Faith belongs to me--and therefore if I take
care of her strength in a somewhat summary way, you will forgive me."

Miss Essie paused and looked at him in most bewildering confusion. He
had spoken and she had heard, very clearly.

"I don't believe it!"--she said with an attempt at jocularity in which
there mingled somehow, inexplicably, a quality that was not pleasure.
"Faith!--no double-dealing. Two is too much."

"Or even the suggestion of two," Mr. Linden said.

"Do you mean," said Miss Essie looking at him with a semi-comical
endeavour to cover up discomfiture and other things--"do you mean to
say that I have made nothing here but an abominable mistake?"

"I should give it a different adjective."

Miss Essie made a despairing gesture. "Oh!--I might well say it's no
use talking to people! Will you ever for give me, Mr. Linden, for all
the mischief I have tried to do you? I didn't know _both_ parties were
within hearing of me, you know, sir?--"

"Miss Essie, I hope you may always be as successful."

Perhaps Miss Essie wondered, as she glanced at Faith, whether she had
done any "mischief" or no; but she ventured no sort of repartee, being
altogether in an uncomfortable and somewhat awed state of mind. She
made hurried adieus to Mrs. Derrick, more formal and extremely civil
leave-taking of Mr. Linden, parted in a sort of astonished wise with
Faith and the diamonds which evidently bewildered her yet, and made
what was also evidently an escape out of the house. While Mr. Linden
attended the lady to the door, Faith softly and swiftly passed behind
them and made her escape too, up stairs. She was gone before he turned.

It was perhaps an hour after this, when Cindy entered Faith's room and
gave her a note. "I'm free to confess," said Cindy, "that Mr. Linden
gave it to me, but who writ it I don't know." But Faith did. It ran
thus:--

"Mademoiselle--With great impatience I have waited for my Sunbeam to
break through the glo