in her eye had yet a check
somewhere.

"But Endecott--"

"Qu'est-ce que c'est, Mademoiselle?"

"You haven't a wooden horse!"--she said with a delicious and most
delicate mixture of frankness and timidity.

"Are you sure of the fact?--and after all, Mademoiselle, what then?"

The same look almost answered him without words. "I am not sure--" she
said. "I thought so."

"What is the point of the remark?"

She hesitated between the two feelings. But frankness, or duty, carried
it. "Because, Endy--if that were so,--I don't want to go!"

"How did your royal pride get turned about?--that you will look at none
_but_ a wooden horse?"

She smiled at him, a little puzzled as of old, and not choosing to
venture any further.

"I suppose I know what you mean, my dear one," Mr. Linden said, taking
both her hands in his, and smiling too; "but as I do not intend to be
John Gilpin, you need not be his wife,--not yet. Besides, the horse--of
whatever sort--will require less than you suppose; and for the prince
and princess, they,

Being in the air,
Will not care
How they fare!"--

Which words had an overcoming effect not only upon Faith's nascent
scruples, but upon Faith herself; and a perfect series of little laughs
of the most musical description rolled along a very limited extent of
the shore, kept company by flushing colours as fair as the lights which
were just then playing in the clouds overhead. Mr. Linden holding her
hands still, watched his princess with the most perfect satisfaction.

"Is your mind at rest?" he said. "You know I threatened to keep you all
to myself for six months--though I'm afraid four will be as near as I
can come to it."

"But where are you going, Endy?"

"That waits partly on your choice. In general, to hills, cities, and
rivers,--the Falls, the White Mountains, Washington, and the pictured
rocks of Lake Superior. Then to some shore where you can see real
surf--and to delight the eyes of some of my old friends by the way."

Faith's eye went gravely over to the sunny Long Island shore, but her
mind had made a perfect leap. The only outward token of which was the
unconsciously playing line of her lips. Such a journey!--with him! The
breeze from the White Mountains seemed to blow in her face already, and
the capital of the country rose before her in a most luminous
cloud-view. With Mr. Linden to guide her and to tell her
everything!--She did not see the eyes that were watching