s, and Pitt, with a kind of grim acquiescence. He was an
old soldier, and no doubt had not forgotten all the lessons once
learned in that impressive school; and as every one knows, to accept
the inevitable and to make the best of a lost battle are two of those
lessons. Not that Colonel Gainsborough would seriously have tried to
fight off Pitt and his pretensions, if he could; at least, not as
things were. Pitt had told him his own circumstances; and the colonel
knew that without barbarity he could not refuse ease and affluence and
an excellent position for his daughter, and condemn her to
school-keeping and Major Street for the rest of her life; especially
since the offer was accompanied with no drawbacks, except the one
trifle, that Esther must marry. That was an undoubtedly bitter pill to
swallow; but the colonel swallowed it, and hardly made a wry face. He
would be glad to get away from Major Street himself. So he ate his
oysters, as I said, grimly; was certainly courteous, if also cool; and
Pitt even succeeded in making the conversation flow passably well,
which is hard to do, when it rests upon one devoted person alone.
Esther did everything but talk.

After the meal was over, the colonel lingered only a few minutes, just
enough for politeness, and then went off to his room again, with the
dry and somewhat uncalled-for remark, that they 'did not want him.'

'That is true!' said Pitt humorously.

'Pitt,' said Esther hurriedly, 'if you don't mind, I want to get my
work. There is something I must do, and I can do it just as well while
you are talking.'

She went off, and returned with drawing-board and pencils; took her
seat, and prepared to go on with a drawing that had been begun.

'What are the claims of this thing to be considered work?' said Pitt,
after watching her a minute or two.

'It is a copy, that I shall need Monday morning. Only a little thing. I
can attend to you just the same.'

'A copy for whom?'

'One of my scholars,' she said, with a smile at him.

'That copy will never be wanted.'

'Yes, I want it for Monday; and Monday I should have no time to do it;
so I thought I would finish it now. It will not take me long, Pitt.'

'Queen Esther,' said he, laying his hand over hers, 'all that is over.'

'Oh no, Pitt!--how should it?' she said, looking at him now, since it
was no use to look at her paper.

'I cannot have you doing this sort of work any longer.'

'_But!_' she said, flushing high,