"Then you know," Mr. Linden went on, "how often the troubles of God's children are compared to the ocean; as David says, 'All thy waves are gone over me.' But then the Lord answers to that, 'When thou passest through the waters I will be with thee, and through the floods, they shall not overwhelm thee;' and David himself in another place declares it to be true—'O Lord God of hosts, who is a strong Lord like unto thee? or to thy faithfulness round about thee? Thou rulest the raging of the sea: when the waves thereof arise, thou stillest them.'—I suppose," he added, thoughtfully, taking both her hands in his, "this is one sense in which by-and-by 'there shall be no more sea'—except that 'sea of glass, upon which they stand who have gotten the victory!'"
Another look, a grave, full look, came to him from Faith; and grave and soft her eye went back to the sea. The sunbeams were all off it; it was dark and foamy. Speaking rather low, half to her half to himself, Mr. Linden went on,—"'And they overcame by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony: and they loved not their lives unto the death.'"
Her look did not move. Mr. Linden's went with it for a minute or two, but then it came back to her differently.
"My darling, I am afraid to have you stay here any longer."
"We can come again!" said Faith gleefully, as she turned away. "I want to look at them a great deal."
"We will come again and try how far a 'ladder' can reach from this low sand."
She looked back for another glance as she began to mount the rocky way. The mounting was an easy matter, for Mr. Linden came close and took hold of her in such fashion that she was more than half carried up.
"Do you feel as if you had wings now?" he asked her, after a somewhat quick "flight" up half the way.
"Folded ones," said Faith, laughing and breathless. "I don't know what sort yours can be! I can go up by myself, Endecott."
"With folded wings, as you remark, Mrs. Linden. Do you remember that infallible way of recognizing 'earth's angels,' when they are not pluming themselves?"—"They never do plume themselves," said Faith, stopping to look at him.