much and drew back.

"I asked--" she said presently, speaking with a good deal of
difficulty,--"because he spoke of being away--and then there would be
no one to do it--and mother is afraid--"

And there Faith stopped, more abashed than anybody had ever seen her in
her life before. He held out his hand, and took hers, and held it fast.

"I know--" he said,--"you need not tell me. When is the doctor going
away?"

"I don't know," she said almost under breath--"he said perhaps--or I
thought--I understood him to mean in a few days."

"Miss Faith!"--and the tone was half expostulating, half scolding, half
caressing. "Come here and sit down by me," he said, gently drawing her
round to the low chair at his side, "I want to talk to you. Do you need
to be told why I said no?"

She sat down, but sunk her head a little and put up her other hand to
shield the side of her face which was next him. The answer did not come
at once--when it did, it was a low spoken "no." Her hand was held
closer, but except that and the moved change of his voice, Mr. Linden
took no notice of her fear.

"I would not let Pet do it--" he said gently, "if I could help it. My
child, do you know what a disagreeable business it is? I could trust
you for not fainting at the time, but I should ill like to hear of your
fainting afterwards. And then if you chanced to hurt me--which the
doctor often does--you would be unhappy for the rest of the day,--which
the doctor by no means is. That is all--I would a great deal rather
have your hands about me than his, but a thing that would give you pain
would give me very doubtful relief. I had rather go with my arm
undressed."

He had gone on talking--partly to give her time to recover; but the
silent look that was bent upon that shielded face was a little anxious.

She dropped the hand that shielded it presently, and shewed it flushed
and wistful, yet with a tiny bit of smile beginning to work at the
corners of the mouth.

"Then Mr. Linden," she said almost in the same tone and without turning
her face,--"if you have no _other_ objection--please let me come!"

"But that one is strong enough. You may send Cinderella up to take a
lesson."

"You said that was all?" she repeated.

"That is the only real objection--I would not raise even that in a case
of greater need. But I suppose unskilful hands could hardly do me much
mischief now. So if you will send Cinderella," he added with a smile,
"she may enlarge h