ive; and in all the
world around her she saw no promise of help or supply. The spring at
which she had slaked her thirst was dried up; the desert was as barren
to her eye as it had been to Hagar's; but, unlike Hagar, she sought
with a sort of desperate eagerness in one quarter where she believed
water might be found. When people search in _that_ way, unless they get
discouraged, their search is apt to come to something; unless, indeed,
they are going after a mirage, and it was no mirage that hovered before
Esther,--no vision of anything, indeed; she was searching into the
meaning of a promise.

And, as I said, nobody knew; nobody helped her; the months of that
winter rolled slowly and gloomily over her. Esther was between fourteen
and fifteen now; her mind just opening to a consciousness of its
powers, and a growing dawn of its possibilities. Life was unfolding,
not its meaning, but something of its extent and richness to her; less
than ever could she content herself to have it a desert. The study went
on all through the winter with no visible change or result. But with
the breaking spring the darkness and ice-bound state of Esther's mind
seemed to break up too. Another look came into the girl's face--a high
quiet calm; a light like the light of the spring itself, so gracious
and tender and sweet. Esther was changed. The duties which she had done
all along with a dull punctuality were done now with a certain blessed
alacrity; her eye got its life of expression again, and a smile more
sweet than any former ones came readily to the lips. I do not think the
colonel noticed all this; or if he noticed at all, he simply thought
Esther was glad of the change of season; the winter, to be sure, had
kept her very much shut up. The servants were more observing.

'Do you know, we're a-goin' to have a beauty in this 'ere house?'
inquired Christopher one evening of his sister, with a look of sly
search, as if to see whether she knew it.

'Air we?' asked the housekeeper.

'A beauty, and no mistake. Why, Sarah, can't you see it?'

'I sees all there is to see in the family,' the housekeeper returned
with a superior air.

'Then you see that. She's grown and changed uncommon, within a year.'

'She's a very sweet young lady,' Mrs. Barker agreed.

'And she's goin' to be a stunner for looks,' Christopher repeated, with
that same sly observation of his sister's face. 'She'll be
better-lookin' than ever her mother was.'

'Mrs. Gains