However, the Sun himself is weak when he first rises, and gathers strength and courage as the day gets on. By degrees, they began to recall circumstances more and more pleasant in their nature, until, what between talking, walking, and laughing, they reached Finchley in such good heart, that Barbara’s mother declared she never felt less tired or in better spirits, and so said Kit. Barbara had been silent all the way, but she said so too. Poor little Barbara! She was very quiet.
They were at home in such good time that Kit had rubbed down the pony and made him as spruce as a racehorse, before Mr. Garland came down to breakfast; which punctual and industrious conduct the old lady, and the old gentleman, and Mr. Abel, highly extolled. At his usual hour (or rather at his usual minute and second, for he was the soul of punctuality) Mr. Abel walked out, to be overtaken by the London coach, and Kit and the old gentleman went to work in the garden.
This was not the least pleasant of Kit’s employments, for on a fine day they were quite a family party; the old lady sitting hard by with her workbasket on a little table; the old gentleman digging, or pruning, or clipping about with a large pair of shears, or helping Kit in some way or other with great assiduity; and Whisker looking on from his paddock in placid contemplation of them all. Today they were to trim the grapevine, so Kit mounted halfway up a short ladder, and began to snip and hammer away, while the old gentleman, with a great interest in his proceedings, handed up the nails and shreds of cloth as he wanted them. The old lady and Whisker looked on as usual.
“Well Christopher,” said Mr. Garland, “and so you have made a new friend, eh?”
“I beg your pardon, sir?” returned Kit, looking down from the ladder.
“You have made a new friend, I hear from Mr. Abel,” said the old gentleman, “at the office?”
“Oh—yes sir, yes. He behaved very handsome, sir.”
“I’m glad to hear it,” returned the old gentleman with a smile. “He is disposed to behave more handsomely still though, Christopher.”
“Indeed, sir! It’s very kind in him, but I don’t want him to, I’m sure,” said Kit, hammering stoutly at an obdurate nail.
“He is rather anxious,” pursued the old gentleman, “to have you in his own service—take care what you’re doing, or you will fall down and hurt yourself.”
“To have me in his service, sir!” cried Kit, who had stopped short in his work and faced about upon the ladder like some dexterous tumbler. “Why, sir, I don’t think he can be in earnest when he says that.”
“Oh! But he is indeed,” said Mr. Garland. “And he has told Mr. Abel so.”
“I never heard of such a thing!” muttered Kit, looking ruefully at his master and mistress. “I wonder at him; that I do.”
“You see, Christopher,” said Mr. Garland, “this is a point of much importance to you, and you should understand and consider it in that light. This gentleman is able to give you more money than I—not, I hope, to carry through the various relations of master and servant, more kindness and confidence, but certainly, Christopher, to give you more money.”
“Well,” said Kit, “after that, sir—”
“Wait a moment,” interposed Mr. Garland. “That is not all. You were a very faithful servant to your old employers, as I understand, and should this gentleman recover them, as it is his purpose to attempt doing by every means in his power, I have no doubt that you, being in his service, would meet with your reward. Besides,” added the old gentleman with stronger emphasis, “besides having the pleasure of being again brought into communication with those to whom you seem to be so very strongly and disinterestedly attached. You must think of all this, Christopher, and not be rash or hasty in your choice.”
Kit did suffer one twinge, one momentary pang in keeping the resolution he had already formed, when this last argument passed swiftly into his thoughts, and conjured up the realisation of all his hopes and fancies. But it was gone in a minute, and he sturdily rejoined that the gentleman must look out for somebody else, as he did think he might have done at first.
“He has no right to think that I’d be led away to go to him, sir,” said Kit, turning round again after half a minute’s hammering. “Does he think I’m a fool?”
“He may, perhaps, Christopher, if you refuse his offer,” said Mr. Garland gravely.
“Then let him, sir,” retorted Kit; “what do I care, sir, what he thinks? why should I care for his thinking, sir, when I know that I should be a fool, and worse than a fool, sir, to leave the kindest master and mistress that ever was or can be, who took me out of the streets a very poor and hungry lad indeed—poorer and hungrier perhaps than ever you think for, sir—to go to him or anybody? If Miss Nell was to come back, ma’am,” added Kit, turning suddenly to his mistress, “why that would be another thing, and perhaps if she wanted me, I might ask you now and then to let me work for her when all was done at home. But when she comes back, I see now that she’ll be rich as old master always said she would, and being a rich young lady, what could she want of me! No, no,”
