his own words were not yet ready, though he
spoke.

"'Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou
dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.'"

Faith spoke no more. She sat in the absolutest quiet, of face and
figure both; looking into the fire that played in the chimney, with a
fixedness that perhaps told--in the beginning--of some doubtfulness of
self command. But the happy look of the face was in nowise changed.

A knock at the door was the first interruption, a knock so low down
that the latch seemed quite too high to match it; but by some exercise
of skill this was lifted, and Johnny Fax presented himself. He looked
very wide awake, and smiling, and demure, as was his wont, though
to-day the smiles were in the ascendant; owing perhaps to the weest of
all wee baskets which he held in his hand. Coming close up to Mr.
Linden, and giving him the privileged caress, Johnny stood there within
his arm and smiled benignly upon Faith, as if he considered her quite
part and parcel of the same concern. Who smiled back upon him, and
enquired "where he had come from?"

Johnny said "From home, ma'am," and looked down at his tiny basket as
if it were a weight on his mind that he did not know how to get rid of.

"Johnny," said Mr. Linden, "what have you got in that basket?"

"You couldn't guess!" said Johnny with a very bright face.

"I couldn't guess!" said Mr. Linden. "Don't you suppose I can do
anything?"

"Yes--" said Johnny shaking his head,--"but you can't do that."

"Then I shall not try," said Mr. Linden, "and you'll have to tell me."

Johnny put his face close down by Mr. Linden, and whispered, but not so
low that Faith could not hear--

"It's two white eggs that my black hen laid for you, sir!"

"Well I never should have guessed that!"--said Mr. Linden smiling. "I
didn't suppose there was a hen in the world that cared so much for me.
I don't believe she would if she was not _your_ hen, Johnny."--Which
last sentence Johnny understood just well enough to feel delighted; and
stood with a glad little face while his teacher opened the basket, and
taking up first one egg and then the other, commented upon their size
and whiteness.

"As soon as I can get out I shall come and see that hen," said Mr.
Linden, drawing the child closer and giving him another kiss--which
Johnny thought was worth a whole basket of eggs;--"so you must tell her
to have her feathers in good or