anted at present; the
day had mellowed into warmth. Perhaps Faith recollected that after she
had got through, for she left the fire to take care of itself and sat
down again on the doorstep looking towards the nut-tree field. For a
good while her cheek wore its troubled flush, her hand went up to it
once or twice as if to cool it off, and her brow bespoke her using
other and more effectual measures. It cooled at last, into complete
quietness and sweetness; and Faith's face was just like itself when the
first of the party came back from the nut field.

That first one, as we have seen, was Mr. Linden. He found both the
ladies in the farmhouse kitchen; Mrs. Derrick very comfortably at her
knitting. Faith was doing nothing; but she looked up, when she looked
up, with just her own face; not certainly in the happy glow he had seen
under the nut tree, nor with the sparkle of busy pleasure it had worn
in the morning; but as it was every day at home.

Mr. Linden arranged the fire and then stood considering it--or
something--for a minute in silence; until Mrs. Derrick inquired "if he
had found as much as he expected?"--but upon his replying somewhat
dryly, "Rather more"--the conversation dropped again.

"You ought to be tired now, Mr. Linden," Faith said gently.

"I am afraid you are."

"No," she said,--"I am not at all."

"Well then--why shouldn't we have our look at Kildeer river? You said
we must."

"O, if you like it!" said Faith, a bright little tinge of pleasure
coming into her cheek, and her sunbonnet was in hand immediately. "But
aren't you tired?" she added doubtfully as they were passing out of the
door. "You've been hard at work."

"You will have to pay for saying you are not, Miss Faith,--I mean to
make you run all the way down to the bank."

And holding out his hand to her, Mr. Linden half made his threat good;
for though his own pace was not much more than a quick walk, by means
of skilful short cuts and long steps, Faith had a gentle little run a
good part of the way. Not down through the crowd of boys and baskets,
but skirting the meadow--passing from the shelter of one great tree to
another, till they reached the bank and saw the blue waters of Kildeer
river at their feet. There she was permitted to sit down and rest. A
little laughing and a little flushed, her happy look was almost brought
back again. But she sat and gazed down at the pretty stream and its
picturesque banks without saying anything; le