Faith's eye gave a little answering flash. "I don't believe I know them all. Then—" she checked herself—"But how did you come here? You—were in Germany."
"Then what?—please answer me first."
How Faith blushed!—and laughed; but she grew very grave almost immediately.
"Please answer me!" she said.
"Yes, I was there—and I could not help coming here," Miss Linden answered. "To leave him there, after all! But I could not help it, Faith. When he determined to spend the year there—and I never saw him look so grave over a determination—it was for one reason alone. You know what?"
Faith did not assent nor dissent, but her eyes were swallowing every word.
"It seemed then as if it might not much lengthen his absence, and would ensure its being the last. And by-the-by, fair ladye, Endecott said I might make the most of you before he got home; for then he meant to have you all to himself for six months, and nobody else should have a sight of you."
As far as they could go, Faith's eyes fell; and her new sister might study the fair face and figure she had not had so good an opportunity of studying before. Perfectly grave, and still to her folded hands.
"After he was fairly launched in his work," Miss Linden went on, "Aunt Iredell began slowly to grow better; and as the winter passed she took the most earnest desire to come home—to America. Nothing could shake it; and the doctors approved and urged that there should be no delay. Then, Faith, I would have stayed,—but she was exceedingly dependent upon me, and most of all, Endecott said I ought to come. I believe he was glad to think of my being here for another reason. He came with us to Paris—it happened just then that he could come—and put us on board the steamer. But we were three days in Paris first,—O such pretty days!" she added smiling. "I'll tell you about them another time."
The downcast eyes were lifted and rested for a minute on the sparkling face before them. If a little warm light in their glance meant that all was "pretty" about which those two had to do, it said part at least of what was in Faith's mind.