"Just wait a minute," said Mrs. Stoutenburgh, as she went round with her pretty, free, womanly manner, and laid her hand on Mr. Linden's forehead and hands, just as if he had been one of her own boys. "I tell you what--I don't think you cure him up half fast enough among you. If I had him up at my house I'd take better care of him." "No, Mrs. Stoutenburgh, even you could not do that," he said looking up at her. She stood still a moment. "You shouldn't look at me so," she said,--"I shall go home and feel real bad for all the nonsense I've been talking. You know," she added, with the mischievous look coming back, "I never did believe one word of it--except--" and the sentence was finished softly. "Now I'm ready, doctor--O Faith, I had a message for you, but Mr. Linden will tell you. Good-bye. No, doctor--I'm not going to trust myself with you,--you're going to trust yourself with me." Dr. Harrison was for once quiet, and went off without a repartee. Other eyes looked with a different anxiety at Mr. Linden then, and another voice, more grave as well as more timid, asked, at his side, "Are you not so well to-night, Mr. Linden?" He smiled, and gave her his hand by way of answer, before he spoke. "I think I am, Miss Faith--you know Mrs. Stoutenburgh has not seen me before since I was quite well." She brought both hands to test the feeling of his, for an instant, without speaking. "Mr. Linden, I heard what Dr. Harrison said--Don't you think I can do instead of Dr. Limbre?" "Yes, Miss Faith--if you will be so good," he answered without hesitation and with the simplest tone and manner. Her brow lightened immediately; and happy and quiet as usual, and that was very happy, she began to make her preparations for tea, clearing the table and rolling it to its last night's position. In which last operation she had assistance. Then she went off for her tea--and the lamp and the fire-light shone again presently on the pleasant scene of last night. "Don't you want to hear your message, Miss Faith?" Mr. Linden said. "Yes, but I wasn't in a hurry, Mr. Linden. I supposed it would come." "It is in three parts. The first is nothing new; being merely that the birthday of the young heir of the house of Stoutenburgh occurs on the 29th of November. Whether the second part is new, I--being a stranger--cannot tell; but the day is to be graced with various suitable festivities." "It's all new to me," said Faith laughing. "Of the novelty of the third part you also must judge," said Mr. Linden with a smile. "The aforesaid young heir will consider the festivities entirely incomplete without your presence--nay, will perhaps refuse to have his birthday come at all, and wish that these 'happy returns' had never had a beginning." Faith's laugh came with its full merry roll now, and she withal coloured a little. "What must I do then, Mr. Linden?"