"I will go there," said Faith hurriedly. But Mr. Linden followed her.
"Reuben," he said, "Miss Faith will hear you—and I am ready to answer for your word with my own;"—then he went back into the sitting room and closed the door.
But those words seemed to touch at least one sore spot in the boy's heart—he had to struggle with himself a moment before he could speak. Then it was low and humbly.
"Miss Faith—I don't know just what Phil has said about me,—I can't find out. But whatever it is there isn't one word of it true. I never said one word about you, Miss Faith, that I wouldn't say to you, just the same!" And Reuben looked as if he would have confronted the whole world on that point.
"I am quite sure of it, Reuben," Faith said very gently. "I didn't need you to come and tell me so."
He looked up at her with both gladness and thanks in his eyes.
"I shouldn't have troubled you with my trouble at all, Miss Faith—only he said you were displeased with me—and I was afraid it might be true."
"Who said I was displeased with you?"
An involuntary glance of Reuben's eye towards the closed door, seemed to say he did not want his words to go far.
"Dr. Harrison, Miss Faith. At least I thought he said so."