would be turned from his
book to his cup of tea.

'Papa,' she began, after the second cup was on its way, 'have you heard
anything lately of Christopher's plans?'

'Christopher's plans? I did not know he had any plans,' said the
colonel drily.

'He has, papa,' said Esther, divided between a desire to laugh and a
feeling that after all there was something serious about the matter.
'Papa, Christopher has fallen in love.'

'Fallen in _what?_' shouted the colonel.

'Papa! please take it softly. Yes, papa, really; Christopher is going
to be married.'

'He has not asked my consent.'

'No, sir, but you know--Christopher is of age,' said Esther, unable to
maintain a gravity in any way corresponding to that on her father's
face.

'Don't talk folly! What do you mean?'

'He has arranged to marry Mrs. Blumenfeld, the woman who keeps the
market garden over here. He does not mean to leave us, papa; the places
are so near, you know. He thinks, I believe, he can manage both.'

'He is a fool!'

'Barker is very angry with him. But that does not help anything.'

'He is an ass!' repeated the colonel hotly. 'Well, that settles one
question.'

'What question, papa?

'We have done with Christopher. I want no half service. I suppose he
thinks he will make more money; and I am quite willing he should try.'

Esther could see that her father was much more seriously annoyed than
he chose to show; his tone indicated a very unusual amount of
disturbance. He turned from the table and took up his book.

'But, papa, how can we do without Christopher?'

There was no answer to this.

'I suppose he really has a great deal of time to spare; our garden
ground is so little, you know. He does not mean to leave us at all.'

'_I_ mean he shall!'

Esther sat silent and pondered. There were other things she wished to
speak about; was not this a good occasion? But she hesitated long how
to be gin. The colonel was not very deep in his book, she could see; he
was too much annoyed.

'Papa,' she said slowly after a while, 'are our circumstances any
better than they were?'

'Circumstances? what do you mean?'

'Money, papa; have we any more money than we had when we talked about
it last fall?'

'Where is it to come from?' said the colonel in the same short, dry
fashion. It was the fashion in which he was wont to treat unwelcome
subjects, and always drove Esther away from a theme, unless it were too
pressing to be avoided.

'Papa, you