come to neither father nor daughter.

It was one morning in spring-time. Mrs. Barker stood at the door of her
kitchen, and called to her brother to come in to breakfast. Christopher
slowly obeyed the summons, leaving his spade stuck upright in the bed
he was digging, and casting loving looks as he came at the budding
gooseberry bushes. He was a typical Englishman; ruddy, fair-skinned,
blue-eyed, of very solid build, and showing the national tendency to
flesh. He was a handsome man, and not without a sufficiency of
self-consciousness, both as regarding that and other things. Mrs.
Barker was a contrast; for she was very plain, some years older than
her brother, and of rather spare habit though large frame. Both faces
showed sense, and the manner of both indicated that they knew their own
minds.

'Season's late,' observed Mrs. Barker, as she stepped back from the
door and lifted her coffee-pot on the table.

'Uncommon late,' answered her brother. 'Buds on them gooseberry bushes
only just showin' green. Now everything will be coming all together in
a heap in two weeks more. That's the way o' this blessed climate! And
then when everything's started, maybe a frost will come and slap down
on us.'

'Peas in?'

'Peas in a fortnight ago. They'll be showin' their heads just now.'

'Christopher, can you get me some greens to day?'

'Greens for what?'

'Why, for dinner. Master likes a bit o' boiled beef now and again,
which he used to, anyway; and I thought greens is kind o' seasonable at
this time o' year, and I'd try him with 'em. But la! he don't care no
more what he eats.'

'How is the old gentleman?'

'Doin' his best to kill hisself, I should say.'

'Looks like it,' said Christopher, going on with a good breakfast the
while in a business manner. 'When a man don't care no more what he
eats, the next thing'll be that he'll stop it; and then there's only
one thing more he will do.'

'What's that?'

'Die, to be sure!'

'He ain't dyin' yet,' said Mrs. Barker thoughtfully, 'but he ain't
doin' the best he can wi's life, for certain. Can ye get me some
greens, Christopher?'

'Nothing in _my_ department. I can take a knife and a basket and find
you some dandelions.'

'Will ye go fur to find 'em?'

'No furder'n I can help, you may make your affidavit, with all there is
to do in the garden yet. What's about it?'

'If you're goin' a walk, I'd let Missie go along. She don't get no
chance for no diversion whatsomev