and looked
full at her visitor.

'There's nothin' like that possible!' said Mr. Bounder solemnly. 'The
colonel ain't agoin' to do without me, my woman. No more can't I do
with out the colonel, I may say. I've lived in the family now this
twenty year; and as long as I can grow spinach they ain't agoin' to eat
no other--without it's yours, mum,' Christopher added, with a change of
tone; 'or yours and mine. You see, the grounds is so near, that goin'
over to one ain't forsakin' the other; and the colonel, he hasn't
really space and place for a man that can do what I can do.'

'An' what is it you propose?'

'That you should take me, mum, for your head man.'

The two were standing now, quite still, looking into one another's
eyes; a little sly audacity in those of Christopher, while a smile
played about his lips that was both knowing and conciliating. Mrs.
Blumenfeld eyed him gravely, with the calm air of one who was quite his
match. Christopher could tell nothing from her face.

'I s'pose,' she said, 'you'll want ridiculous wages?'

'By no means, mum!' said Christopher, waving his hand. 'There never was
nothin' ridiculous about _you_. I'll punch anybody's head that says it.'

Mrs. Blumenfeld shook the last remnant of soil from the celery roots,
and handed the bunch to Christopher.

'There,' she said; 'you may take them along with you--you'll want 'em
for dinner. An' I'll send up the onions. An' the rest I'll think about.
Good day to ye!'

Christopher went home well content.

CHAPTER XXVIII.

_STRAWBERRIES_.

The winter passed, Esther hardly knew how. For her it was in a depth of
study; so absorbing that she only now and then and by minutes gave her
attention to anything else. Or perhaps I should say, her thoughts; for
certainly the colonel never lacked his ordinary care, which she gave
him morning and evening, and indeed all day, when she was at home, with
a tender punctuality which proved the utmost attention. But even while
ministering to him, Esther's head was apt to be running on problems of
geometry and ages of history and constructions of language. She was so
utterly engrossed with her work that she gave little heed to anything
else. She did notice that Pitt Dallas still sent them no reminders of
his existence; it sometimes occurred to her that the housekeeping in
the hands of Mrs. Barker was becoming more and more careful; but the
only way she saw to remedy that was the way she was pursuing; a