"I haven't done anything with it, Mr. Linden." "That requires explanation." "It isn't so hard as one of your puzzles," she said smiling. "I mean to do something with it, Mr. Linden, if I can; and I thought I would try the other day; but I found I didn't know enough to begin--to learn that yet." "What other key are you forging?" "What _other_ key?" said Faith. "I mean," he answered with a tone that shewed a little fear of going too far, "what do you want to learn before that?" "I don't know," said Faith humbly.--"I suppose, English. It was a grammar of yours, Mr. Linden, a French grammar, that I was looking at; and I found I couldn't understand what it was about, anywhere. So I thought I must learn something else first." "Never was philosopher so put in a corner!" said Mr. Linden. "Suppose you take up him and the dictionary and let me be the grammar--do you think you could understand what I was about?" The blood leapt to her cheek; part of her answer Faith had no need to put in words, even if he had not seen her eyes, which he did. The words were not in any hurry to come. "When you have been teaching all day already"--she said in a tone between regretful and self-reproving. "It wouldn't be right." "Mayn't I occasionally do wrong?--just for variety's sake!" "_You_ may--and I don't doubt you would. I was thinking of my own part." "I am glad you don't say you have no doubt I _do_," said Mr. Linden. "I suppose you mean that I would if sufficient temptation came up, which of course it never has." Faith looked an instant, and then her gravity broke up. "Ah, but you know what I mean," she said. "You will have to furnish _me_ with a dictionary next," he said smiling. "Look at my watch--Miss Faith, how can you have tea so late, when I have been teaching all day?--it isn't right,--and cuts off one's time for philosophizing besides." Faith ran into the house, to tell the truth, with a very pleased face; and tea was on the table in less time than Cindy could ever understand. But during tea-time Faith looked, furtively, to see if any signs were to be found that little Johnny Fax had been made to yield up his testimony. Whether he had or no, she could see none; which however, as she justly concluded with herself, proved nothing. The new grammar was far easier understood than the old. Although Mr. Linden unfolded his newspaper, and informed Faith that he intended to read 'uninterruptedly'--so that she 'need feel no scruple about interrupting him'--yet he probably had the power of reading two things at once; for his assistance was generally given before it was asked. His explanations too, whether Faith knew it or not, covered more ground than the _French_ exigency absolutely required,--he was not picking this lock for her, but giving her the grammar key.