Say and Seal
Chapter 2 : "But it was such a mercy, child, that you hadn't gone out to supper anywhere--

"But it was such a mercy, child, that you hadn't gone out to supper anywhere--I can't think what I should have done. There's Cindy this minute!--run and tell her to go right away and find out what his name is--tell her I want to know,--you can put it in good words."

"Mother!--I'd rather ask him myself."

But that did not suit Mrs. Derrick's ideas of propriety. And stepping out into the kitchen she despatched Cindy on her errand. Cindy presently came back from the front door, and went into the dining-room, but not finding Mrs. Derrick she handed a card to Faith.

"It's easy done," said Cindy. "I just asked him if he'd any objections towards tellin' his name--and he kinder opened his eyes at me and said no. Then I said, says I, Mis' Derrick do know, and she'd like ter.

'Miss Derrick!' says he--and he took out his pencil and writ that. But I'd like to know _what_ he cleans his pencil with," said Cindy in conclusion, "for I'm free to confess I never see bra.s.s s.h.i.+ne so in my born days."

Faith took the card and read,--

JOHN ENDECOTT LINDEN.

She looked a little curiously at the pencilling, at the formation of the capitals and of the small letters; then laid it down and gave her attention to the dishes of the supper-table.

CHAPTER II.

The next day was Sat.u.r.day. The morning opened with grey clouds, covering the sky, but which were light and light-broken and promised to roll away entirely as soon as the sun should reach a commanding position in the heavens. The sun however was still quite distant from such a position, in fact was not much more than an hour high, when Lucinda, who was sweeping the front door steps, was hailed from the front door by a person not one of the party of the preceding evening, and very unlike either of them. It was a lady, not young, of somewhat small figure, trim, and nicely dressed. Indeed she was rather handsomely dressed and in somewhat French taste; she had showy gold earrings in her ears, and a head much more in the mode than either Mrs.

Derrick's or her daughter's. The face of this lady was plain, decidedly; but redeemed by a look of sense and shrewdness altogether unmixed with ill nature. The voice spoke alert and pleasantly.

"So Lucindy, you had company last night, didn't you?"

"May be we did and may be we didn't," said Lucindy, brus.h.i.+ng away with great energy at an imaginary bit of lint at the end of the upper step.

"I do' know but we'd just as good call him one of the family."

"So much at home already? I missed seeing him last night--I couldn't get home. What's he like, Cindy? and what has he done?"

"Done?" said Cindy--"well he's went out a'most afore I was up. And as to like, Miss Dilly--just you look at him when he comes in. He looks some like folks, and yet he don't, neither."

"He's out, is he?"

"Yes," said Cindy, reducing a large family of spiders to temporary starvation and despair,--"he's out--if he ain't gone in nowheres. Miss Dilly, if you'll stand just inside the door I can wash the steps just as well.

"What's the gentleman out so early for? Maybe he's missed some of his luggage, Cindy."

"Hope he ha'n't got no more--without its lighter," said Cindy.

"However, he carried it upstairs himself, I'm free to confess. I guess 'twarn't for luggage he went out, 'cause he asked about breakfast time, special."

"If he means to be out till then he'll have a good walk of it."

It wanted five minutes of breakfast time, and Mrs. Derrick--what with stepping into the kitchen to oversee Cindy, and stepping to the front window to oversee the street--was warm enough for a cooler morning.

"Faith," she said, referring as usual to her daughter, "Faith--what shall we do if he don't come?"

"I guess he'll come, mother;--he knows the time. The things won't hurt much by waiting a little."

As she spoke, the little front gate swung softly to, and the person in question came leisurely up the steps and into the hall. Then having just glanced into the parlour, he at once--with a prompt.i.tude which bespoke him too punctual himself to doubt the punctuality of others--advanced to the dining-room door and walked in.

Mrs. Derrick's face shewed gratification mingled with her good nature.

Faith smiled; and Miss Dilly was duly introduced as Miss Delia Danforth, Mrs. Derrick's aunt, then on a visit at Pattaqua.s.set.

"You've taken an early stroll this morning, sir," said this last lady.

"View the country?"

"No," said Mr. Linden, "I have been viewing the town."

"Ah! Well I call that viewing the country. Town and country, all's one here; and it makes a very pleasant sort of place. But what do you call the _town_, sir?--Do you drink coffee?"

"The town," said Mr. Linden, in answer to the first question--receiving his coffee-cup from Mrs. Derrick by way of answer to the second,--"means in this instance, Miss Danforth, that spot of country which is most thickly settled. Yes, ma'am--I drink coffee."

"Very bad for you, sir; don't you know it?"

"Bad for me as one of the human race? or as an individual specially marked out not to drink it?"

"Dear me!" said Miss Danforth sipping her own tea--"I don't know what you are 'marked out' for. I think it's a mistake for everybody to think he is 'marked' for something special--they set the mark themselves, and generally it don't fit."

"But the fact that a man often gets the wrong mark, by no means proves that there is no right one which belongs to him," said Mr. Linden, looking gravely at Faith as if he meant she should smile.

Faith seemed to look at the question however rather seriously, for dropping her knife and fork she asked,

"How shall a man know his mark?"

"By earnest consideration and prayer," he answered, really grave this time. "I know of no other way, Miss Faith."

What a remark that was! it silenced the whole table. Knives and forks and spoons had it alone, with only words of necessity; till Faith asked Mr. Linden if he would not have another cup of coffee.

"Certainly!" he said handing her his cup. "There is so much to be said on both sides of that little bit of china--I must not be partial in my attention."

"But you can't study both sides of a subject at once," said the coffee-hater.

"Then take them alternately--and (figuratively) walk round your coffee-cup, surveying its fair proportions from different points of view. If the coffee is strong and you are nervous--that's one thing.

Again, if the coffee be weak and you be phlegmatic--that's another."

"The coffee's not strong to-day," said Mrs. Derrick with a regretful shake of the head.

"Nor am I phlegmatic,"--with the slightest possible indication of a smile.

"Do you think," said Miss Danforth, "a man is better able to decide questions of common judgment for having studied a great deal?--learned a great many things, I mean."

"That depends very much upon what effect his studies have had upon his judgment. Mrs. Derrick--are you trying to break me off from coffee by degrees? this cup has no sugar in it."

"O my!" said Mrs. Derrick, colouring up in the greatest confusion. "I do beg your pardon, sir! Faith, take the sugar-bowl, child, and pick out some large lumps."

"You will get more praise from Miss Danforth than blame from me, ma'am," said Mr. Linden, submitting his cup to Faith's amendment and watching the operation.