"No you couldn't!" she said. "And I couldn't have driven off Jerry and
left you--though that would have been better."

"You could have driven me off. What was the other reason?"

"The other reason isn't really worth your hearing. Don't you think this
afternoon is too pretty to spoil with bad reasons?"--she said with
gentle eyes, half fun, half confession.

"Entirely. Faith--I think you would bear the ride better if you had a
sort of afternoon lunch,--shall we stop at Miss Bezac's for a glass of
milk?"

"Oh no!"--she said hastily. "Oh no, Endecott! I don't want anything but
to ride."

"And to hide--" said Mr. Linden laughingly. "Another bad reason, Faith?"

She gave him a little blushing look, very frank and happy, that also
bore homage to his penetration.

"Stop anywhere you please, Endy," she said honestly. "I was very glad
you came to Mr. Simlins'."

"Would you rather get it from Mrs. Davids?" he inquired demurely.

"No, not rather. Whichever you like, Endecott," Faith said, hiding the
start which the question in this real form gave her. The afternoon sun
through which they were riding was very bright; the washed leaves were
brilliantly green; sweet scents of trees and buds filled the air, and
opening apple blossoms were scattering beauty all over the land.
Nothing could spoil that afternoon. Faith had a secret consciousness
besides that the very thing from which she shrank was by no means
disagreeable to Mr. Linden. She did not care what he did! And he,--in
the joy of being with her, of seeing her grow stronger every hour, Mr.
Linden was in a 'holiday humour'--in the mood for work or play or
mischief; and took the road to Miss Bezac's for more than a glass of
milk.

"Mignonette," he said, "what varieties of pride do you consider lawful
and becoming?"

"I know only a few innocent sorts," said Faith,--"that I keep for
myself."

"Luxurious child! 'A few innocent sorts of pride that you keep for
yourself'! You must divide with me."

How Faith laughed.

"You wouldn't thank me for one of them all, Endecott. And yet--" She
stopped, and coloured brilliantly on the sudden.

"Explain and finish," said Mr. Linden laconically.

"If I told you what they are you would laugh at me."

"That would not hurt me. What are they, Mignonette?"

She spoke gravely, though smiling sometimes; answering to the matter of
fact, as she had been asked. "I am proud, a little, of very fine rolls
of butter, or a particularly