"What are you about, little Sunbeam?—are you busy?"
"No."
"Then first I want a talk with you, and then a walk with you,—do you want the same with me?—or are you tired?"
"No—yes;—I'm not tired a bit."
"Are you nervous?" he said, drawing her off into the next room.
"No!" she said laughing a little,—"did you ever think I was,
Endecott?"—But Faith's heart beat somewhat strangely.
"I am going to try you—" he said as he sat down by her; "so if you are, shut up your eyes."
There was no sign of shutting up in Faith's eyes. She looked at him, not indeed assuredly, but steadily, and with a wee smile. Eye and smile were met and held, until he had taken her left hand and held that too; but then looking down at it, Mr. Linden gravely took out a little gold ring and proceeded to try how well its dimensions agreed with those of the finger for which it was destined.
Nothing moved of Faith but her eyes, which followed his, and the fluttering colour—which fluttered indeed! went and came like the lights on a wreath of vapour.
Silently the hand, with both rings on, was looked at for a few moments—then held to his lips, with special greeting of those two fingers; and then, as he took off the second ring, Mr. Linden looked up at her.