A sudden little cry of pain, driven back before it was well begun, was heard and but just heard, from Faith. The doctor looked up. "I was afraid this--Are you faint?" he said gently. "No sir,--" she answered; and she stood still as before, though the overspread colour which had held its ground for a good while past, had given way now and fluttered pain fully. But the doctor's words brought Mr. Linden, for the first time since his accident--to a perfectly erect position on the couch--with a total disregard of where his arm went, or what became of its bandages. "What are you about!" "I declare, I don't know!" said Dr. Harrison, standing back. "I _thought_ I was just disposing of you comfortably for the day--but I am open to conviction!" The left hand let go its grasp of the couch--taken so suddenly, and for which the wounded arm took swift vengeance; and Mr. Linden laid himself down on the cushions again, the colour leaving his cheeks as fast as it had come. "What's the matter, Linden?" said the doctor with rather a kind look of concern. "You have hurt yourself." Faith left the room. "I fear I have disarranged some of your work." The doctor examined and set to rights. "I'll see how you do this evening. What ailed you to pitch into me like that, Linden?" "I think the 'pitching in' came upon me," he answered pleasantly. "It seems so, indeed. I hope you won't try this kind of thing again. I am sure you won't to-day." And so the doctor went. A quarter of an hour or a little more had gone by, when the light knock came at Mr. Linden's door that he had certainly learned to know by this time; and Faith came in, bearing a cup of cocoa. The troubled look had not entirely left her face, nor the changeful colour; but she was not thinking of herself. "I knew you were tired, Mr. Linden--Would you like this--or some grapes--or wine--better?" The most prominent idea in Mr. Linden's mind just then, was that he had already had what he did not like; but that had no place in the look which answered her, as he raised himself a little (and but a little) to take the cup from her hand. "Pet would thank you better than I can now, Miss Faith." She stood looking down at him, with a little sorrowing touch about the lines of her mouth. "Do you know how much better two cups of cocoa are than one?" said Mr. Linden. "I don't know how you can have two at once, Mr. Linden." "Then I will bestow one upon you--and wait while you get it." "I am well--" she said, looking amused through her gravity, and shaking her head. "And besides, I couldn't take it, Mr. Linden." And to put an end to that subject, Faith had recourse to the never failing wood fire; and from thence went round the room finishing what she had failed to do in the morning; coming back at the point of time to take Mr. Linden's cup. He looked at her a little as he gave it back. "You are too tired to go over all those lessons to-day--which do you like best? will you bring it?"