Faith jumped up off her rock. "Endy, I want to run down and look at these little fish. And it's growing late, besides!"—
"Yes, but, you must answer me first," said Mr. Linden laughing and holding her fast. "It is needful I should know beforehand, because they will want supporters, if I do not."
"I don't want any, Endy," said Faith with cheeks like two pink roses, but standing very still now.
"Then come and shew me the fish. Don't you think it would be gladsome work to seek out those untaught and uncared for people up in the mountains?"
They had come down to the rocks between and among which at low tide the shell fish played in an inch or two of water; and sitting on one of the mossy stones Faith was watching the mimic play of evil passions which was going on among that tribe of Mollusca below her; but her mind was on something else.
"I read the other day," she said, "those words of Paul, where he says to the Thessalonians 'we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel'.—They made me very happy—they make me happy now. What I thought of in connexion with them, I mean."
"And what was that?"
"That they are your words too,"—she said after looking up as if she thought her meaning must be known.—"And that even I—have something to do," she added lower.
Mr. Linden stood by her, looking off at the rippling waves, then down at his fair little helper. "Yes, Faith—it is a glorious thing to have any part of that work in trust,—and the part which makes least show may be no less in reality. 'In trust'!" he repeated, looking off again. "Such beautiful words!—such terrible."
"No!"—she said with a smile,—"I don't think so."