, untying her apron, "chance don't prove
anything. A man may have just as good a chance to kill as he has to
cure. By which I don't mean that _he_ has, for I don't know."

"The tide is coming in, mother. We came just in the very point of the
time. How pretty it is!--" said Faith; standing in the blue mud, with
her bare feet, and with the basket of clams in her hand, but standing
still to look off at the flats and the dark water and the hazy opposite
shore, all with the sunny stillness and the soft enveloping haze of
October lying lovingly upon them. Faith thought of the 'glory' again,
and watched to see how water and shore and flats and sky were all
touched with it. One or two sails on the Sound could not get on; they
lay still in the haze like everything else; and the 'glory' was on them
too. She thought so. It seemed to touch everything. And another glory
touched everything,--the glory of truth Faith had only for a little
while come to know. She recognized it; there was 'light from heaven' in
more senses than one; the glow of joy and hope unknown a while before;
the softening veil of mind-peace over whatever might be harsh or sharp
in actual reality. She did not run out all the parallel, but she felt
it, and stood looking with full eyes. Not full of tears, but of
everything pleasant beside.

Then came the drive home, with the air darkening every minute, but
notwithstanding this, Mrs. Derrick stopped by the way.

"Faith," she said, "hold the reins, child--I won't be a second, but
I've got something to see to in here;" and Faith was once more left to
her meditations.

Not for long; for as she sat gazing out over old Crab's ears, she was
'ware' of some one standing by the wagon: it was Squire Deacon.

"I shall commence to think I'm a lucky man, after all!" said the
Squire. "I was coming down to see you, Miss Faith,--and couldn't just
resolve my mind to it, neither. I wanted to pay a parting visit."

"Were you?--are you going away, Squire Deacon?"

"Why yes," said the Squire, looking down at his gun--for he had been
shooting,--"I've had considerable thoughts of taking a turn down to
York. Cilly says she don't think it's worth my while--but I guess she
don't know much more 'n her own concerns. Pattaquasset's a good deal
come round this season," he added, without specifying which way.

"Do you mean that you intend to forsake Pattaquasset entirely?" said
Faith, noticing the comfortable supply of ducks in the Squire's