whether or not
in the circumstances to find the words or the surmise 'balmy.' But if
she wanted rest that night, or seemed to have wanted it, she had found
it the next day, for she was all like herself. To speak with her own
scrupulosity, there was perhaps just a shade of quieter gravity on her
face and touching her smile, than there had been the day before. And
that shade she kept.

It is a notable fact, that when Pleasure with her wand has roused into
lively motion the waters of some mortal lake, she straightway departs;
taking with her the sparkles, the dancing foam, and leaving the
disturbed waves to deposit at their leisure the sediment which she has
stirred up. Withered leaves flung upon the bank, a spot here and there
of discoloured froth,--these are what remain. Thus in the quiet nooks
and corners of Pattaquasset were trophies not too bright of the
celebration. Thus did Pattaquasset people behold some of the hidden
evil in their neighbours, and likewise in themselves. The boys indeed
maintained their serenity and kept Pleasure with them but in other
quarters there were some heartburnings--most of all at Squire Deacon's.
Relieved at first by the idea of a new rival--then by some intuitive
belief thrown off that ground of comfort; the Squire was much in the
condition of the man who wanted to commit an assault upon every small
boy he met--for boys were to him representatives. But deprived by law
of this manly way of expressing his feelings, the Squire sought some
other. For the boys, they laughed at him--and at pretty much everything
else; and having as I said managed to keep Pleasure with them, the
faces that greeted Mr. Linden on Friday morning were unusually bright.

Yet there were one or two exceptions. Sam Stoutenburgh was a little
shamefaced in broad daylight--a little afraid of being laughed at; and
Reuben Taylor, the head of the blue ribbands, was under a very unwonted
cloud. It even seemed as if the day (no thanks to Pleasure) had done
some work for Mr. Linden: perhaps he was considering how long he should
be within reach of such ceremonies; or (perhaps) how soon he could be
willing to put himself out of reach. And when he came home in the
afternoon, it was with the slow, meditative step which reminded Faith
of his first week in Pattaquasset.

"_You_ are tired now, Mr. Linden," she said with a smile, but the
burden of her remark in her eyes, as she met him in the porch.

"Boys are an extraordinary com