"Nothing but be willing--be willing to have Christ in all his offices, as your Teacher, your King, and your Redeemer--give yourself to him, dear Mrs. Rossitur, and he will take care of the rest."
"I am willing!" she exclaimed. Fresh tears came, and came freely. Mr. Carleton said no more, till hearing some noise of opening and shutting doors above stairs Mrs. Rossitur hurriedly left the room, and Fleda came in by the other entrance.
"May I take you a little out of the way, Mr. Carleton?" she said when they had passed through the Deepwater settlement.--"I have a message to carry to Mrs. Elster--a poor woman out here beyond the lake. It is not a disagreeable place."
"And what if it were?"
"I should not perhaps have asked you to go with me," said Fleda a little doubtfully.
"You may take me where you will, Elfie," he said gently. "I hope to do as much by you some day."
Fleda looked up at the piece of elegance beside her, and thought what a change must have come over him if he would visit poor places. He was silent and grave however, and so was she, till they arrived at the house they were going to.
Certainly it was not a disagreeable place. Barby's much less strong minded sister had at least a good share of her practical nicety. The little board path to the door was clean and white still, with possibly a trifle less brilliant effect. The room and its old inhabitants were very comfortable and tidy; the patchwork counterpane as gay as ever. Mrs. Elster was alone, keeping company with a snug little wood fire, which was near as much needed in that early spring weather as it had been during the winter.
Mr. Carleton had come back from his abstraction, and stood taking half unconscious note of these things, while Fleda was delivering her message to the old woman. Mrs. Elster listened to her implicitly with every now and then an acquiescing nod or ejaculation, but so soon as Fleda had said her say she burst out, with a voice that had never known the mufflings of delicacy and was now pitched entirely beyond its owner's ken. Looking hard at Mr. Carleton,
"Fleda!--Is this the gentleman that's to be your--husband?"