Her smile and shake of the head said that it was.
"Is Joe Deacon staying home yet?" said Mrs. Derrick.
"No, he began school again to-day."
"I wonder whether the Squire is going off again," said Mrs.
Derrick,—"or whether he's going to stay home."
"I have heard nothing of his going away."
"You were going to tell me what exactly a 'standard' is, Mr. Linden? At least!"—said Faith correcting herself,—"I was going to ask you."
"There is a very intimate connexion between the two things," said Mr. Linden smiling. "A standard, in this sense, is simply some fixed rule of the ought to be, by which the is must be tried. Standard coin is that made according to the precise government regulation, and is the test of all other in the realm, as to size, weight, and alloy. So of standard weights and measures. For some things we have the Bible standard,—for most, each person has his own."
"Then Mr. Linden," said Faith, "I think my 'ideal' of Melancholy is something disagreeable."
"I don't believe you have any!" said he laughing. "You mean your idea,
Miss Faith."
"Do I?" said Faith. "But perhaps you have such a thing, Mr. Linden; isn't it disagreeable?"