The dinner itself, service and style and all included, was sufficiently like the Squire and his wife. Handsome and substantial, free, bountiful, and with a sort of laughing air of good cheer about it which more ceremony would have covered up. There was no lack of talk, either,--all the company having the ability therefor, and then, at least, the inclination. But if Mr. Linden now and then called Sam out of his abstraction, so did the Squire attack Faith; giving her a little sword play to parry as best she might. "Miss Faith," he said, "do you know to what a point you are, day by day, winding up the curiosity of this town of Pattaquasset?" "I, sir!" said Faith, apparently, by her eye and air, occupying the place of the centre of motion to all this curiosity;--the point of absolute rest. "My dear," said the Squire, "they say two things about you! The first is that you never go out! Now don't trouble yourself to contradict that, but just tell me the _reason_. We're all friends here, you know." "Why I go out very often indeed, Mr. Stoutenburgh!" said Faith. "Didn't I tell you not to contradict me? Ah Miss Faith!--young ladies never will take advice! Well--the first thing is, as I said, that you never go out. The second," said the Squire laughing, "is--that you do!" "Well sir," said Faith merrily,--"they can't both be true--and there isn't anything very bad about either of them. Nor very curious, either, I think." "What I should like to know," said Mr. Linden, "is, who keeps watch at the gate?" "Squire Deacon does, for one," said Sam promptly. "I see him there often enough." "When you come to relieve the guard?" said Mr. Linden smiling. And the laugh was turned for the moment, rather to Sam's confusion. "So that's what the Squire's come back for, is it?" said Mr. Stoutenburgh. "I thought somebody was to blame for his going away." "Nobody was _much_ to blame," said Mrs. Stoutenburgh. "I had a long talk with Sam the other day--Sam Deacon, I mean," said the Squire, "and he was keen to get acquainted with Dr. Harrison. And as the doctor came along just then, I gave him a chance. I guess the doctor blessed me for it!--I did him. By the way, Miss Faith, I s'pose you've got acquainted with the doctor by this time?" "Yes sir--very well--" Faith said quietly, though she felt the ground uneasy and unsafe. "Well what sort of a chap is he?--up to anything besides running away with all he can lay his hands on?" "Don't you know him, Mr. Stoutenburgh?" "Can't say I do, Miss Faith,--it rather strikes me he's not anxious I should." "How can he be anxious, sir, when you are not?" said Mr. Linden. "Isn't that expecting too much?" The Squire laughed. "I don't expect too much of him," he said,--"and don't you expect too little. After all, I'd as soon take a boy's mind as a man's--and he aint popular among the boys. I thought he would be, after that exhibition--but he aint." Which remark Mr. Linden knew to be true, though he did not say so.