With a somewhat slower step than usual, with a slight hesitating touch of her hand to the smooth brown hair which lay over her temples, Miss Faith moved through the hall to the front door, gently opened it, and stood there, in the midst of the doorway, fronting the stranger. By no means an uncomely picture for the frame; for the face was good, the figure trim, and not only was the rich hair smooth, but a little white ruffle gave a dainty setting to the throat and chin which rose above it, both themselves rather on the dainty order. I say fronting the stranger,--yet to speak truth the stranger was not fronting her. For having made one more loud appeal to the knocker, having taken off his hat, the better to feel the soft river breeze, he stood as before "looking off into space;" but with one hand resting more decidedly upon the silk umbrella. Faith took a minute's view of decidedly pleasant outlines of shoulders and head--or what she thought such--glanced at the hand which grasped the umbrella handle,--and then lifting her own fingers to the knocker of the door, caused it gently to rise and fall. A somewhat long breath escaped the stranger--as if the sound chimed in with his thoughts--nothing more. Faith stood still and waited. Perhaps that last sound of the knocker had by degrees asserted its claim to reality; perhaps impatience began to assert _its_ claim; perhaps that long elm-tree shadow which was creeping softly on, even to his very feet, broke in upon the muser's vision. Certainly he turned with a very quick motion towards the door, and a gesture of the hand which said that this time the knocker should speak out. The door however stood open,--the knocker beyond his reach; and Miss Faith so nearly within it, that he dropped his hand even quicker than he had raised it. "I beg your pardon!" he said, with a grave inclination of the head. "I believe I knocked." "Yes, sir--I thought you had forgotten," said Faith; not with perfect demureness, which she would like to have achieved. "Will you please to come in?" And somewhat regardless of consequences, leaving the hall door where it stood, Faith preceded her guest along the hall and again performed for him the office of door-opener at the parlour, ushering him thus into the presence of her mother. Mrs. Derrick was seated in the rocking-chair, at the furthest corner from the window, and perfectly engrossed with the last monthly magazine. But she came out of them all with wonderful ease and promptness, shook hands very cordially with the new comer, seated him in her corner and chair before he could make much resistance, and would also have plunged him into the magazine--but there he was firm. "If you would only make yourself comfortable while I see where your baggage is?" said the good lady. "But I can tell you where it is, ma'am," said he looking up at her,--"it is at the station, and will be here in half an hour."