rd stir also. The movement of wind and water
met a movement of the animal spirits, which consorted well with it; the
cool air breathed vigour into her resolves; she turned to Mrs. Barker
with a very bright face.

'Oh, Barker, how lovely it is!'

'If you please, which is it, Miss Esther?'

'Look at that beautiful river. And the light. And the air, Barker. It
is delicious!'

'I can't see it, mum. All I can see is that there ain't an indiwiddle
cheer standin' on its own legs in all the house; and whatever'll the
colonel do when he comes down? and what to begin at first, I'm sure I
don't know.'

'We'll arrange all that. Where is Christopher? We want him to open the
boxes. We'll get one room in some sort of order first, and then papa
can stay in it. Where is Christopher?'

They had to wait a few minutes for Christopher, and meanwhile Esther
took a rapid review of the rooms; decided which should be the
dining-room, and which the one where her father should have his sofa
and all his belongings. Then she surveyed the packing-cases, to be
certain which was which, and what ought to be opened first; examining
her ground with the eye of a young general. Then, when the lagging Mr.
Bounder made his appearance, there was a systematic course of action
entered upon, in which packing-cases were knocked apart and cleared
away; chairs, and a table or two, were released from durance and set on
their legs; a rug was found and spread down before the fireplace; the
colonel's sofa was got at, and unboxed, and brought into position; and
finally a fire was made. Esther stood still to take a moment's
complacent review of her morning's work.

'It looks quite comfortable,' she said, 'now the fire is burning up. We
have done pretty well, Barker, for a beginning?'

'Never see a better two hours' job,' said Christopher. ''Tain't much
more. That's Miss Esther. Sarah there, she wouldn't ha' knowed which
was her head and which was her heels, and other things according, if
she hadn't another head to help her. What o'clock is it now, Miss
Esther?'

'It is some time after eight. Papa may be down any minute. Now, Barker,
the next thing is breakfast.'

'Breakfast, Miss Esther?' said the housekeeper, standing still to look
at her.

'Yes. Aren't you hungry? I think we must all want it.'

'And how are we goin' to get it? The kitchen's all cluttered full o'
boxes and baggage and that; and I don' know where an indiwiddle thing
is, this minute.'