I am very well. But Mr. Linden, if you will please come into the other
room, there is an easy chair there. Please do! this room is cold, for
the fire got down while we were seeing people."

She led the way as she spoke, without waiting for another denial;
pushed the table and a great chair of state, or of ease, in the
sitting-room, into closer neighbourhood; and renewed the brilliancy of
the fire. Then lit up the lamp and cleared books away from the table;
all done with quick alacrity.

"That will do almost as well as the couch, won't it?" she said; and
then repeated in gentler tones her question, "Are you well enough to be
down, Mr. Linden?"

"I don't know, Miss Faith!--I am well enough to want to be down. How
can you let the charms of society divert your mind from your books for
a whole afternoon? Have you been so studious for the last few days only
because you had nothing else to do?"

She laughed at the question, and went off, leaving Mr. Linden in a
region of comfort. More comfort came soon in the shape of the teatray,
borne by Cindy; then Mrs. Derrick; and lastly Faith herself
appeared--bearing a plate of the muffins, perfect this time, and
delicate as they had need to be for a delicate appetite. Mr. Linden was
presently served with one of these and a cup of smoking tea; and Faith
thought, and her look half said it, that being down stairs would do him
no harm. Certainly the surprise and pleasure of such company to tea did
Mrs. Derrick good, whoever else missed it; though it is presumable no
one did. The pleasant sighing of the wind round the house and in the
chimney (it sighed alone for that evening) the sparkling of the fire,
the singing of the maple or hickory sticks, the comfortable atmosphere
of tea and muffins diffused, like the firelight, all through the room;
gave as fair an assemblage of creature comforts as need be wished; and
the atmosphere of talk was as bright, and savoury, and glowing too, in
its way; though the way was quiet. Mr. Linden amused himself (and
Faith) by giving her little lessons in the way she would have to talk
in those French "noonspells" she had in prospect: making Mrs. Derrick
laugh with the queer sounding words and sentences, and keeping Faith
interested to that point, that if he had not attended to her tea as
well, she would scarce have got any.

"I shall not be hard upon you at first," he said smiling,--"when I see
you sitting in silent despair because you want something at m