He too went on with the exercise; but watching her, lest relief might be wanted in another quarter. There was nothing of that, though. Quiet and very great satisfaction, was the result of the matter in Faith's mind; at least it was all she permitted to be seen; and now she gave herself happily to the connexion of her nouns and adjectives, and to watching against the 'german' or 'sophisticated' letters in her handwriting. The exercise indeed was fast taking a very compound character; so much so, that Faith might well begin to suspect there had been a two-fold reason for proposing it. But Mr. Linden had a peculiar way of teaching--especially of teaching her; and made her almost forget in the pleasure of learning, the fact that she had need to learn. And as for his memory on the subject, or his perception of how it might touch her,--they were out of sight: she might have been a little child there at his side, for the grave simplicity and frankness of his instructions. And so exercise and reading and philosophy followed on in a quiet train, and the surface of the earth revealed new wonders, and the little French book was closed at the end of a pretty chapter. "Whenever I get about my duties again, Miss Faith," Mr. Linden said, "I shall make one very stringent rule for our future intercourse." "What's that, Mr. Linden?" she said, with the face of quick deep pleasure she always wore when about any of her studies with him. "From the time when I come home to dinner till I go off again, I will neither speak nor be spoken to, Miss Faith, except in French. That is, you may speak--but I shall not answer." Faith started a little, looked puzzled, and looked terrified,--as much as she ever did; but rather closed with looking as if it was _impossible_. "I should make the rule at once," said Mr. Linden smiling, "but I foresee that you would absent yourself entirely. Now when I am down stairs you will have to see me--whether you want to or not." "But I don't know one word!" said Faith breathlessly. "I am afraid I shall not say, or hear, much, Mr. Linden." "O you shall hear a great deal--I will take that upon myself." Faith shook her head, gave the fire a final mending, and ran off; for it was again an hour past the mid-day. Mr. Linden's dinner came up, and was hardly removed before Dr. Harrison followed. "Well, Linden!" he said coming jauntily in,--"I hope you haven't missed me this morning." "Not in the least." "I am glad of that. How do you do? I will try and put you in condition not to miss me this evening--though it is benevolent!"--added the doctor, pulling off his left glove. "It is a great secret--to make oneself missed!" "It is a secret your gloves will hardly find out, by my fire," said Mr. Linden. "How well you look, doctor!--not a bit like Nought and All."