"Yes ma'am--and just pushed my word out of the way when I gave it,--said it might be well enough to tell people but he didn't think you liked it. And so I got vexed. I'm so used to Mr. Linden," Reuben said--as if in excuse. "Are you satisfied now, Reuben?" said Faith, giving him a good look of her eyes. A little qualified his look was--perhaps because he had been too much troubled to have the traces go off at once; but there was no want of satisfaction in his, "O yes, Miss Faith--I can't tell you how thankful I am to you! Goodnight, ma'am." Faith went back to the parlour. And then Mr. Linden, taking from his pocket a piece of broad dark blue ribband, and laying it lightly round Faith's shoulders, told her gravely, "that she was entitled to wear that for the rest of the evening." Faith matched the blue with red, and stood eying the ribband which she had caught as it was falling from her shoulders, seeming for a minute as if she had as much as she could bear. Rallying, she looked up at Mr. Linden to get a little more light as to what he expected of her, or what he meant. But unless she could read a decided opinion that the two 'favours' looked better together than separate, his face gave her no information. Then smiling he said, "I don't mean that you _must_ wear it--merely that you have the right." Faith gave another glance at his face, and then without more ado tied the blue ribband round her waist, where as she still wore the white dress of yesterday, it shewed to very good advantage. She said nothing more; only as she was quitting the room now in earnest to get tea, gave him an odd, pleasant, half grateful, half grave little smile. Too many things however had been at work to admit of her coming down into quietness immediately. The red left her no more than the blue for the rest of that evening. CHAPTER XVI. Saturday was but a half holiday to Mrs. Derrick's little family--unless indeed they called their work play, which some of them did. It was spent thus. By Mrs. Derrick, in the kitchen, in the bed-rooms, all over the house generally--with intervals at the oven door. By Mr. Linden in the sitting-room, where Faith came from time to time as she got a chance, to begin some things with him and learn how to begin others by herself. The morning glided by very fast on such smooth wheels of action, and dinner came with the first Natural Philosophy lesson yet unfinished. It was finished afterwards however, and then Mr. Linden prepared himself to go forth on some expedition, of which he only said that it was a long one. "I am going to petition to have tea half an hour later than usual to-night, Miss Faith," he said. "_Just_ half an hour later, Mr. Linden?" she said smiling. "You shall have it when you like." "I hope to be home by that time--if not don't wait for me. You will find all the materials for your French exercise on my table."