Now you shall see them off their guard. This
room is dark--but I know the way."

He took her hand as he spoke, and led her through the darkness to a
spot of shaded light at the further end of the room, whence too came
laughter and voices; then drew back the curtain from a sash door and
let her look in.

It was pleasant, as he said,--the room was glowing with light, the boys
in a knot about the fire; some sitting, some standing, one or two
couchant upon the rug. Sam was the spokesman just then--the rest
listening, interrupting, applauding; the flashing firelight shewing
such different faces! such varied indications!--they looked like a
little Congress of representatives.

"What are they doing, Mr. Linden? Sam is having a good time!--and all
the rest of them for that matter."

"I am not quite sure what they are doing, Miss Faith,--Sam looks as if
he might be recounting some of his own exploits--for the twentieth
time."

"But Reuben, who never would recount one of his, is five times as much
of a man."

"Yes,--I wonder what Miss Essie would say of the two, respectively. She
means to study me to-night, you know," he said smiling--"and I mean she
shall! There comes Mrs. Stoutenburgh--now I shall take you in."

Not by the sash door, but round again by another way they came upon the
little company. Mrs. Stoutenburgh had been in before, and her
reappearance had not made much change in the order of things; but when
Faith came in every boy rose to his feet, and the admiring looks were
only bounded by the number of eyes. They fell back right and left as
she came on towards the fire; and once seated there in an easy chair,
those who knew her came up to pay their respects--those who did not
stood still and paid them at a distance, whispering and touching each
other with,

"My! ain't she handsome!"--

All of which amused at least two of the lookers-on. One or two of the
boys Mr. Linden brought up and presented. Faith however was presently
out of her chair of state and wound in and out among them, speaking to
those whom she knew or remembered at Neanticut. She was in a little
gale of good-fellowship by the time Mr. Linden with Miss Essie returned
to the room.

"Well!" said Miss Essie. "Now what's the first order of things? Mr.
Linden, these are all your boys, I suppose?"

"These are all and not all, Miss Essie."

"Yes. Do they always do what you tell them?"

"They are extraordinary boys!" said Mr. Linden. "Not one of