gainst them, but either he did not
feel himself able to touch directly what they were both thinking of--or
else thought her not able to bear it. His tone was very quiet, the rest
of his hand upon her hair hardly longer than it had been yesterday, as
he said,

"What will my scholar be fit for to-day?--anything but sleep?"

For a moment it was a little more than she could bear, and her face for
that moment was entirely grave; then she smiled up at him and answered
in a tone lighter than his had been,

"Fit for anything--and more fit than ever, Mr. Linden. I only rest here
because you put me here."

The next remark diverged a little, and was given with darkening eyes.

"How DARED he take you with those young horses!"

"He thought he could do just what he pleased with them--" said Faith,
shaking her head a little.

"And with you--" was in Mr. Linden's mind, but it came not forth.
"Where is your mother?--does she know?"

"Mother's coming," said Faith raising herself from the cushions,--"as
soon as she sends up the breakfast. She doesn't know yet. I told Sam
not to tell you, Mr. Linden.

"How do you do to-day?"

She answered him with a bright fair glance and in a tone as sweet as
happiness could make it,

"_Very_ well!"

Mr. Linden's eyes went from her to the opening door and the entering
dishes.

"Sara was not in fault, Miss Faith,--I heard you come home."

In the train of the dishes came Mrs. Derrick, and looked with a little
amaze at Mr. Linden off the couch and Faith upon it. But if the first
didn't hurt him, she knew the second wouldn't hurt Faith, with whose
appearance her mother was not yet quite satisfied. And when they were
all at the table, Mrs. Derrick might wonder at those words of very
earnest thanksgiving that they were all brought together again, but
they needed no explanation to any one else. In all her life Faith had
never known just such a breakfast. That sweet sense of being safe--of
being shielded,--of breathing an atmosphere where no evil, mental,
moral, or physical, could reach her,--how precious it was!--after those
hours of fear and sorrow. If her two companions had visibly joined
hands around her, she could not have felt the real fact more strongly.
And another hand was nearer and more precious still to her
apprehension; even the one that made theirs strong and had brought her
within them. Faith's face was a fair picture, for all this was there.
But Faith's words were few.

How ma