Say and Seal Volume I Part 35

"What is the matter with the boy?" she said, "I couldn't get anything out of him, Mr. Linden."

A somewhat peculiar smile came with the words,

"Couldn't you?"

Faith noticed it, but her thought was elsewhere. She came back to the table, took up the flowers, and said a little timidly,

"Do you know who put these here, Mr. Linden?"

The look changed. "I think I do," he said.

Her look did not change, except to a softened reflection of the one with which she had first viewed them. She viewed them still, bending over them doubtfully; then glancing up at him she shook her head and said,

"You are dressed before me, after all, Mr. Linden!"

And ran away. She was back again in three minutes, with the flowers upon her breast; and if there had been but one adornment in the world that would have fitted her just then, the giver of the flowers had found it. Faith had altered nothing, she had only put them in the right place; and the effect was curious in its beauty. That effect of her flowers was probably the only one unknown to Faith herself, though it was with a face blushing with pleasure that she came in and sat gravely down to be a philosopher.

She gave her teacher little trouble, and promised to give him less. She had excellent capacity, that was plain; with the eager desire for learning which makes the most of it; both the power and the will were there to appropriate and use every word of Mr. Linden's somewhat lawless but curiously skilful manner of instructing her. And the simplicity of her attention was perfect. She did not forget her flowers, probably, during this particular page of philosophizing, for a little tinge on her cheek never ceased to speak of pleasure all through the time; but that was the sole sign of distraction, if distraction there were. Less grave, but more intent, than Mr. Linden himself, the information that Mr. Skip had driven the little wagon round before the door, came to her ears all too soon.

The drive to the Judge's was not very long; it might have been three quarters of a mile; so even at the old horse's rate of travelling they were soon there.

Judge Harrison's house was large and old-fashioned, yet had much more style about it than any other house in Pattaqua.s.set pretended to; and the same was true of its arrangements and furniture. It was comfortable and ample; so was everything in it; with besides that touch of ease and fitness and adaptation which shews always--or generally--that people have lived where there is a freedom from fixed standards. It was so here; for Judge Harrison's family during the life-time of his wife had always spent their winters and often part of their summers away from Pattaqua.s.set--in one of the great cities, New York generally, or at some watering-place. There was also however an amount of good sense and kind temper in the family which made no difference, of intention, between them and the rest of Pattaqua.s.set when they were there; so that they were extremely popular.

Mr. Skip and old Crab were in very good time; there were not more than half a.s.sembled of all the good company asked and expected this afternoon. These were all over, in the house and out of the house; observing and speculating. The house was surrounded with pleasant grounds, spreading on two sides in open smooth lawns of considerable extent, and behind the house and the lawns stretching back in a half open shrubbery. On one of the lawns long tables already shewed their note of preparation; on the other there was a somewhat ominous array of benches and chairs; and among them all, round and about everything, scattered the people.

Mrs. Derrick and Faith went upstairs to the unrobing room, where the latter was immediately taken into consultation by Miss Harrison on some matters which promised to keep them both busy for some time. Mr. Linden meanwhile received a very cordial welcome from Judge Harrison, who was cordiality itself.

"Well, Mr. Linden! we've got a good day! Good for the boys and good for us. We've ventured to depart a little from your--instructions! but--I hope--in such a way as not to compromise you. My son and daughter have managed it. I'll introduce him to you"--said the old gentleman looking about,--"but he's somewhere just now."

"I should like to know first, Judge Harrison, what my instructions were," said Mr. Linden, as his eyes likewise made search for the missing doctor.

"O," said the Judge, "all right! I understood your feelings exactly. I used that word because the right one didn't come. I have to do that often. I've heard of the 'pen of a ready writer'--I'm sure I'd rather have the tongue of a ready speaker; but it don't matter for me now. My friends take me as they find me, and so will you, I have little fear.

Julius!--Here's my son, Dr. Harrison, Mr. Linden."

Dr. Harrison must have a word of introduction to the reader, though he was one of those who need very little in actual life. He was a handsome man, young but not very young, and came up at his father's call and honoured the introduction to his father's guest, with that easy grace and address which besides being more or less born with a man, tell that much attrition with the world has been at work to take away all his outward roughnesses of nature. He was handsomely dressed too, though not at all in a way to challenge observation. His coat would have startled n.o.body in Pattaqua.s.set, though it might have told another that its wearer had probably seen France, had probably seen England, and had in short lived much in that kind of society which recognizes the fact of many kinds of coats in the world. His greeting of Mr. Linden was both simple and graceful.

"I am very happy to see you," he said as he shook hands. "I should certainly have come to see you before, but I am more a stranger in Pattaqua.s.set than anybody. I have hardly been at home since I returned; business has drawn me to other quarters--and I am only fortunate enough to be in time for this occasion. It's a good time for me," said he looking round,--"I can renew my old acquaintance with everybody at once--I think all Pattaqua.s.set is here."

"Not grown out of your remembrance, has it?" said Mr. Linden. "How long have you been away?"

"Well--it's had time to grow out of everything! especially out of my memory. I have not been here for five years--and then only for a few days--and before that at College; so I may say I have hardly been here since my boyhood. I don't know anybody but the old ones. I shall apply to you, if you will allow me," said he, drawing himself and Mr. Linden a little more apart from the centre of reception. "Who, for instance, is that very--well-dressed--young lady just entering the hall?--good-looking too."

The doctor's face was very quiet--so were his words; but his eye was upon Miss Cecilia Deacon, who in a low-necked blue silk, with an amber necklace and jet bracelets, was paying her respects to the Judge and his daughter. With equal quietness Mr. Linden made answer.

"By the way," said the doctor suddenly, "I believe we owe this pleasant occasion--very pleasant I think it is going to be--to you."

"Accidentally and innocently, I a.s.sure you."

"Yes--of course,"--said Dr. Harrison, with the air of one who needed no information as to Mr. Linden's view of the subject, nor explanation as to its grounds. "But," said he speaking somewhat low,--"my father has the interests of the school--and indeed of all Pattaqua.s.set--truly at heart, and my sister has entered into all his feelings. I am a kind of alien. I hope not to be so.--But, as I was saying, my father and sister putting their heads together, have thought it would have a good effect upon the boys and upon certain interests of the community through them and their parents too, to give some little honours to the best students among them--or to the cleverest boys--which, as you and I know, are not precisely synonymous terms. Would you think well of such an expedient?

My father is very anxious to do nothing which shall not quite meet your judgment and wish in the matter."

"I shall leave it in Judge Harrison's hands," said Mr. Linden after a moment's silence: "I should be very sorry to gainsay his wishes in any respect. And some of the boys deserve any honours that can be given them."

"Do they?" said the doctor. "Can you indicate them to me?"

"No," said Mr. Linden smiling. "I shall leave you to find out."

"Leave _me_"--said the other. "How did you know what office they had charged upon me? Well--I am making as long a speech as if I were a member of Congress. By the way, Mr. Linden, can you imagine what could induce a man to be that particular member of the body politic? it occupies the place of the feet, I think; such members do little but run to and fro--though I remember I just seemed to give them the place of the tongue--unjustly. They don't do the real talk of the world."

"The real _talk?_" said Mr. Linden. "Indeed I think they do their share."

"Of talk?" said the doctor with an acute look at his neighbour.

"Well--as I was saying--my sister has provided I believe some red and blue, or red and something, favours of ribband--to be given to the boys who shall merit them. Now to find out that, which you won't tell me, I am to do, under your pleasure, some more talking--to them in public--to see in short how well they can talk to me. Do you like that?"

"Better than they will, perhaps--as merit is sometimes modest."

"I a.s.sure you I would happily yield the duty into your hands--who would do it so much better--but I suppose you would say as somebody else--'Let my friend tell my tale.'--Who is that?" said the doctor slowly and softly,--"like the riding pole of a fence--as little to spare--and as rigid--isn't he?--and as long! Don't I remember him?"

"You ought--that is Mr. Simlins."

"Yes"--said the doctor musingly--"I remember him! I incurred his displeasure once, in some boyish way, and if I recollect he is a man that pays his debts. And that unfortunate--next--looks like the perspective of a woman."

But this lady Mr. Linden did not know. She was little, in form and feature, and had besides a certain _pinched-in_ look of diminutiveness--that seemed to belong to mind as well as body, temper, and life--and had procured her the doctor's peculiar term of description.

"The next thing is," said Dr. Harrison, as his eye slowly roved over the a.s.sembled and a.s.sembling people--"who is to give the favours? My sister of course does not wish to be forward in the business and _I_ don't--and you don't. _I _say, the prettiest girl here."

"I think the hands that prepared the favours should dispense them,"

said Mr. Linden.

"But she won't do it--and ladies have sometimes the power of saying no--they're generally persuadable!--Who's that?" said the doctor with a change of tone, touching Mr. Linden's arm,--"the one in white with a red bouquet de corsage--she's charming! She's the one!"

"That is Miss Derrick."

"She'll do,"--said the doctor softly to his companion, as Faith paused for a quick greeting of the Judge and then pa.s.sed on out of sight;--"she's charming--Do you suppose she knew what she was about when she put those red leaves and roses together? I didn't know there was that kind of thing in Pattaqua.s.set."

"Yes, they look very well," said Mr. Linden coolly.

"Julius!" said Mrs. Somers, laying hold of the elbow of the suggestive coat, "what do you mean by keeping Mr. Linden and yourself back here.

That's the way with you young men--stand off and gaze at a safe distance, and then make believe you're fire proof."

"Don't make believe anything, aunt Ellen," said the young man lightly.

"Prove me. You can take me up to the cannon's mouth--or any other!--and see if I am afraid of it."

"I shall prove you before I take you anywhere," said Mrs. Somers. "You needn't talk to me in that style. But it's a little hard upon the boys to keep Mr. Linden here out of sight,--half of them don't know whether they're on their head or their heels till they see him, I can tell from their faces."

"Mr. Linden," said the doctor with a gesture of invitation to his companion,--"shall we go? Does it depend upon your face which of the positions mentioned is to be a.s.sumed?"

The two gentlemen accordingly threaded their way to the scene of action; pa.s.sing, among others, Squire Deacon and Mr. Simlins whom Mr.

Linden greeted together. Mr. Simlins' answer was a mighty grasp of the hand. Squire Deacon's deserved little attention, and got it.