Say and Seal Volume Ii Part 9

"It is only to forget that 'Mr. Linden' is any part of my name," he said smiling.

She had been rosy enough before, but now the blood reddened her very brow, till for one instant she put up her hands to hide it.

"What then?"--she said in a breathless sort of way.

"What you like"--he answered brightly. "I have not quite as many names as a Prince Royal, but still enough to choose from. You may separate, combine, or invent, at your pleasure."

There came a summons to dinner then; and part of the hours which should follow thereafter, Mr. Linden was pledged to spend somewhere with somebody--away from home. But he promised to be back to tea, and before that, if he could; and so left Faith to the quiet companions.h.i.+p of her mother and her lessons--if she felt disposed for them. They were both in the sitting-room together, Mrs. Derrick and the books,--both helping the sunlight that came in at the windows. But Faith neglected the books, and came to her mother's side. She sat down and put her arms round her, and nestled her head on her mother's bosom, as she had done in the morning. And then was silent. That might have been just what Mrs. Derrick expected, she was so very ready for it; her work was dropped so instantly, her head rested so fondly on Faith's. But her silence was soon broken.

"How long do you think I can wait, pretty child?" she said in the softest, tenderest tone that even she could use.

"Mother!" said Faith startling. "For what?"

"Suppose you tell me."

"Do you know, mother?" said Faith in a low, changed tone and drawing closer. But Mrs. Derrick only repeated,

"What, child?"

"What Mr. Linden has said to me,"--she whispered.

"I knew what he would"--but the words broke off there, and Mrs. Derrick rested her head again in silence as absolute as Faith's.

For awhile; and then Faith lifted up her flushed face and began to kiss her.

"Mother!--why don't you speak to me?"

It was not very easy to speak--Faith could see that; but Mrs. Derrick did command her voice enough to give a sort of answer.

"He had my leave, child,--at least he has talked to me about you in a way that I should have said no to, if I had meant it,--and he knew that. Do you think I should have let him stay here all this time if I had _not_ been willing?"

Faith laid her head down again.

"Mother--dear mother!"--she said,--"I want more than that!"--

She had all she wanted then,--Mrs. Derrick spoke clearly and steadily, though the tears were falling fast.

"I am as glad as you are, darling--or as he is,--I cannot say more than that. So glad that you should be so happy--so glad to have such hands in which to leave you." The last words were scarce above a whisper.

Faith was desperate. She did not cry, but she did everything else. With trembling fingers she stroked her mother's face; with lips that trembled she kissed her; but Faith's voice was steady, whatever lay behind it.

"Mother--mother!--why do you do so? why do you speak so? Does this look like gladness?" And lips and hands kissed away the tears with an eagerness that was to the last degree tender.

"Why yes, child!" her mother said rousing up, and with a little bit of a smile that did not belie her words,--"I tell you I'm as glad as I can be!--Tears don't mean anything, Faith,--I can't help crying sometimes.

But I'm just as glad as he is," she repeated, trying her soothing powers in turn,--"and if you'd seen his face as I did when he went away, you'd think that was enough. I don't know whether I _could_ be,"

she added softly, "if I thought he would take you away from me--but I know he'll never do that, from something he said once. Why pretty child! any one but a baby could see this long ago,--and as for that, Faith, I believe I love him almost as well as you do, this minute."

The last few minutes had tried Faith more than she could bear, with the complete reaction that followed. The tears that very rarely made their way from her eyes in anybody's sight, came now. But they were not permitted to be many; her mother hardly knew they were come before they were gone; and half nestling in her arms, Faith lay with her face hid; silent and quiet. It seemed to Mrs. Derrick as if she was too far off still, for she lifted Faith softly up, and took her on her lap after the old childish fas.h.i.+on, kissing her once and again.

"Now, pretty child," she said, softly stroking the uncovered cheek, "keep your hands down and tell me all about it. I don't mean every word," she added smiling, "but all you like to tell."

But Faith could not do that. She made very lame work of it. She managed only with much difficulty to give her mother a very sketchy and thin outline of what she wanted to know; which perhaps was as much as Mrs.

Derrick expected; and was given with a simplicity as bare of additions as her facts were. A very few words told all she had to tell. Yes, her mother was satisfied,--she loved to hear Faith speak those few words, and to watch her the while--herself supplying all deficiencies; and then was content that her child should lie still and go to sleep, if she chose--it was enough to look at her and think: rejoicing with her and for her with a very pure joy, if it was sometimes tearful.

Faith presently changed her position, and gave a very particular attention to the smoothing of the hair over her mother's forehead. Then pulling her cap straight, and giving her a finis.h.i.+ng look and kiss, she took a low seat close beside her, laid one of her study books on her mother's lap, resting one arm there fondly, and went hard to work remarking however that Mrs. Derrick might talk as much as she liked and she would talk too. But Mrs. Derrick either did not want to talk, or else she did not want to interrupt; for she watched Faith and smiled upon her, and stroked her hair, and said very little.

Just at the end of the afternoon, when Faith was finis.h.i.+ng her work by firelight, Mr. Linden came in. She did not see the look that pa.s.sed between her mother and him--she only knew that they held each other's hands for a minute silently,--then one of the hands was laid upon her forehead.

"Little student--do you want to try the fresh air?"

She said yes; and without raising her eyes, ran off to get ready. In another minute she was out in the cool freshness of the December twilight.

CHAPTER IV.

The walk lasted till all the afterglow had faded and all the stars come out, and till half Pattaqua.s.set had done tea; having its own glow and starlight, and its flow of conversation to which the table talk was nothing.

Of course, Faith's first business on reaching home was to see about the tea. She and Mrs. Derrick were happily engaged together in various preparations, and Mr. Linden alone in the sitting-room, when the unwelcome sound of a knock came at the front door; and the next minute his solitude was broken in upon.

"Good evening!" said the doctor. "Three-quarters of a mile off 'I heard the clarion of the unseen midge!' so I thought it was best to come to close quarters with the enemy.--There is nothing so annoying as a distant humming in your ears. How do you do?" He had come up and laid his hand on Mr. Linden's shoulder before the latter had time to rise.

"What a perverse taste!" Mr. Linden said, laughing and springing up.

"All the rest of the world think a near-by humming so much worse."

"Can't distinguish at a distance," said the doctor;--"one doesn't know whether it's a midge or a dragon-fly. How is Mignonette? and Mignonette's mother?"

"They were both well the last time I saw them. In what sort of a calm flutter are you, doctor?"

"Do you think that is my character?" said the doctor, taking his favourite position on the rug.

"You go straight to the fire--like all the rest of the tribe," said Mr.

Linden.

"Is it inconsistent with the character of such an extra ordinary midge, to go straight to the mark?"

"n.o.body ever saw a midge do that yet, I'll venture to say."

"And you are resolved to act in character," said the doctor gravely.

"You have got clean away from the point. I asked you last night to tell me what you thought of me. We are alone now--do it, Linden!"

"Why do you want to know?"

"I don't know. A man likes to talk of himself--cela s'entend--but I care enough about you, to care to know how I stand in your thoughts. If you asked me how I stand in my own, I could not tell you; and I should like to know how the just balances of your mind--I'm not talking ironically, Linden,--weigh and poise me;--what sort of alloy your mental tests make me out. No matter why!--indulge me, and let me have it. I presume it is nothing better than philosophical curiosity. I am--every man is to himself--an enigma--a mystery;--and I should like to have a sudden outside view--from optics that I have some respect for."

"I gave you the outside view last night," Mr. Linden said. But then he came and stood near the doctor and answered him simply; speaking with that grave gentleness of interest which rarely failed to give the speaker a place in people's hearts, even when his words failed of it.