"Mother--I have asked _him_,--will you speak to Mr. Skip and Cindy?" "I can't child--" said her mother, with the same tone and look. "I'll go in myself, but I can't try to do any more." "Dear mother--" said Faith,--"I wish you would!" Her mother turned and kissed her, but the difficulty was clearly not one to be overcome. The whole subject seemed to bring up some painful association. "He'll call them in himself, if you ask him, child." "Would it be right to ask him, mother?" "Why yes!" said Mrs. Derrick--"I don't see why not. One of you must." With this thought Faith went back to the sitting-room. Clearly there was some strong feeling against her being the one, for after a little sober silent waiting, she spoke. "Mr. Linden--would you rather I should ask Cindy and Mr. Skip to come in?--or will you?" He knew, better than she did, how well the question shewed her own wish, and how simple a matter it was to him. "I will, Miss Faith, if you please. Is this the hour you have fixed upon?" "I think so," she said,--"if you like it; because by and by they will be sleepy." And Mr. Linden at once proceeded to the kitchen. A busy murmur of tongues, and bright firelight glancing from keyhole and crevice, guided him through the narrow passage which, sooth to say, he had never trod before, to the door of the kitchen; the latch of which yielded on slight persuasion, and Mr. Linden walked in. Supper was over there, too, and the dishes were washed and put away, and Cindy with dishcloth in hand was rubbing down the kitchen table. In one corner of the hearth sat Mr. Skip on a half bushel measure, a full corn basket beside him, an empty one in front, his hands busy with the shelling process; this hard work being diversified and enlivened with the continual additions he made to a cob house on the hearth. But, cob in hand, Mr. Skip paused when Mr. Linden came in, and looked up at this unusual apparition from under an extraordinary hat which drooped on all sides of his face, as if like its wearer it had long given up all idea of keeping up appearances. The face itself was strong, shrewd, apt. And so Mr. Skip looked at Mr. Linden. Cindy on her part, did nothing but wring the dish cloth and shake it out again, entirely oblivious of the greeting with which Mr. Linden favoured both parties; and she listened to the words he said about the corn, as if they had been Greek--double distilled. Those words were few. "Mr. Skip," he said then, "I think that so long as God keeps us here together every day, we ought to thank him for it together every night. I want you and Cindy to come into the parlour and let us begin to do it now." "Hey?" said Mr. Skip, between want of understanding and want of belief in the testimony of his ears. Mr. Linden repeated his words, with a composed distinctness that could leave no manner of doubt. "Well!"--said Mr. Skip. "What do you want us for to do?" "Come into the parlour."