"No, I know you are not. But—excuse my curiosity!—are you so fond of the Bible that you stop on the way home to read it as you go along? or are you waiting for somebody?"
The words brought the colour back with a different tinge, but Reuben simply answered, "No, sir—I did not stop here to read. I am waiting."
"For Miss Derrick, are you not?"
"Yes, sir."
"Then I dare say Miss Derrick will release you for this time, and allow me to attend her home, whither I am going myself."
"I must wait till she comes out, sir," Reuben said, with the respectful intractability which the doctor remembered.
"Of course!" he said. "Did you ever take lessons of anybody but Mr.
Linden?—" But at this point the house door opened and Faith came out.
"Miss Faith," said the doctor, after his greeting which was thoroughly in character, "if you will tell your escort here—who I am sure is a staunch one—that you need him no longer, he will feel free to begin his long walk to the shore,—and I shall have the rare pleasure and honour of going home with you."
Faith turned frankly. "Do you want to go home, Reuben?"
"No, Miss Faith"—was the equally frank, low-spoken answer,—"not unless you want me to go." Reuben could but speak the truth—and he did try to speak it with as little offence as possible; though with an instinctive feeling that the time "when truth will be truth and not treason," had not yet arrived. "I mean, that I want to do just what you wish," he added looking up at her.