t in one case you can get what you
want--and in the other, you have to wait for it."

"Till when?"

She laughed, somewhat uneasily, and asked him what he meant.

"I hardly know how to make my question plainer, Miss Faith. I suppose I
am of an impatient disposition, but the idea of waiting an indefinite
time for rest is not pleasant to me."

"But can you always get it as soon as you would like to have
it?"--Faith asked with a kind of timid doubt, as not knowing but his
power might extend so far.

"Why not?--seeing rest is like some sweet wind, which cannot blow its
soft gale till there is a clear space for it, why should it linger when
the space is clear?--why not rest when we are weary?"

"But can you always get the clear space for it?" Faith asked, looking
at him wonderingly.

He smiled.

"I am talking of what may be done, Miss Faith--not of what I do. But I
wish you would let me try my powers for you to-night. How comes there
to be a demand?--how comes there _not_ to be a supply?"

"Of rest?" said Faith. "Oh there is! At least," she added
reluctantly,--"there will be. There is now, Mr. Linden."

"Equal to the demand?"

"Why do you ask me?" she said, a little troubled.

"I believe I have a bad habit of asking questions," said Mr.
Linden--and his tone was apologetic in its very gentleness, "It is
partly my fault and partly Pet's."

"Partly whose? Mr. Linden," said Faith. "_I_ don't think it's a bad
habit. _Whose_ fault, did you say?"

"Pet's--my sister's--into whose company I hope to send you soon again."

"Oh--I mustn't thank you!"--Faith said, beginning and stopping herself
somewhat comically.

"I don't know whether you will thank me for taking you past your own
gate, which I was about to do," said Mr. Linden. "And I don't know
whether the social and astronomical days ought to agree--but Hesperus
set some time ago."

"I don't understand, Mr. Linden--" said Faith pausing.

"You must not expect to understand all astronomical things till you
have studied astronomy," he said with a smile. "The practical
application of my words is to sleep--

'That knits up the ravelled sleeve of care;
Worn labour's bath; balm of hurt minds.'"--

With which soporific potion he bade her goodnight; and Faith went to
her room marvelling _what_ could have put into Mr. Linden's head just
those particular words; and whether he had a quality of vision that
could see through flesh and blood; and a little in doubt