"Pretty child!" Mrs. Derrick said,--"I never will let you go away again
for anybody!"

Faith laughed, and kissed her and kissed her; but did not take that
moment to say what she thought--that Mrs. Derrick would have to let her
go again in a few days perhaps, and for Miss Danforth herself. Then her
eye glanced at the tea-table, as it might at an ungoverned kingdom--or
a vacated sphere; and the fulness of her heart broke out.

"Mother!--I'm glad to be home again!" The tone said it yet more than
the words. And then with a sudden movement, she went off a step to Mr.
Linden and held out her hand to him, albeit ever so little shyly. The
hand was taken and kept, his eyes taking a quiet survey of her the
while.

"Miss Faith, you want to be set to work! Some people will neglect
themselves if they have a chance."

"I haven't done much work since I have been away, Mr. Linden."

He smiled--what was he reading in her face? "You don't know what you
have done, child," he said. "But she looks glad, Mrs. Derrick,--and we
are very glad to have her." Whereupon Faith was conducted to the
tea-table without more delay; Mrs. Derrick feeling sure that she was
starving both with cold and hunger.

Faith had no appearance of being cold; and though she certainly did eat
her supper as if she was glad to be at home, it was not with the air of
a person with whom his bread and butter is the first thought. Gladness
shone in every look and movement; but at the same time over all the
gladness there was a slight veil; it might be gravity, but it might not
be all gravity, for part of it was very like constraint; the eyes were
more ready to fall than to rise; and the words, though free to come,
had a great facility for running in short sentences. But Mrs. Derrick
was too happy to notice such light streaks of mist in the sunshine, and
talked away at a most unusual rate,--telling Faith how Mr. Linden had
ridden that 'wild horse,' and had found time to teach her little class,
and in general had done everything else--for everything seemed to hinge
upon him. Mr. Linden himself--with now and then a word to qualify, or
to make Faith laugh, took a somewhat special and quiet care of her and
her wants at the table; all which seemed to Faith (in her mood) very
like little gentle suggestions at that vail;--otherwise, he was rather
silent.

Then followed prayers, with all the sweet warm influences of the time;
and then Faith might sit and talk or be silent, as