s!" cried Miss Bezac, turning round. "Why Faith!--you don't
mean to say it's you?--though I don't suppose you mean to say it's
anybody else. Unless--I declare I don't know whether it is you or not!"
said Miss Bezac, looking from her to Mr. Linden and shaking hands with
both at once. "Though if it isn't I ought to have heard--only folks
don't always do what they ought--at least I don't,--nor much of
anything."

"It is nobody else yet," said Mr. Linden smiling. Whereat Miss Bezac
laid one hand on the other, and stepping back a little surveyed the two
"as a whole."

"Do you know," she said, "(you wouldn't think it) but sometimes I can't
say a word!"

"You must not expect Faith to say much--she is tired," said Mr. Linden
putting her in a chair. "Miss Bezac, I brought her here to get
something to eat."

"Well I don't believe--I don't really believe that anybody but you
would ever do such a kind thing," said Miss Bezac. "What shall I get?
Faith--what will you have? And you're well enough to be out again!--and
it's so well I'm not out myself!--I'll run and see if the fire
ain't,--the kettle ought to be boiled, for I wanted an early cup of
tea."

"No, dear Miss Bezac, don't!" said Faith. "Only give me some bread and
milk."

Miss Bezac stopped short.

"Bread and milk?" she said--"is that good for you? The bread's good, I
know, baked last night; and the milk always is sweet, up here with the
cowslips--and most things are sweet when you're hungry. But ain't you
more hungry than that?--and somebody else might be, if you ain't--and
one always must think of somebody else too. But you do, I'll say that
for you. And oh didn't I say long ago!--" A funny little recollective
pause Miss Bezac made, her thoughts going back even to the night of the
celebration. Then she ran away for the bread and milk,--then she came
back and put her head in at the door.

"Faith, do you like a cup or a bowl?--I like a cup, because I always
think of a cup of comfort--and I never heard of a bowl of anything. But
you can have which you like."

"I like the cup too," said Faith laughing. "But even the bowl would be
comfort to-day, Miss Bezac."

The cup came, and a little pitcher for replenishing, and a blue plate
of very white bread and very brown bread, and one of Miss Bezac's
old-fashioned silver spoons, and a little loaf of "one, two, three,
four, cake", that looked as good as the bread. All of which were
arranged on a round stand before Faith b