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“And who serves them that have no garden?” asked Aunt Catherine, sticking her gold glasses over her nose, and looking at us.

“None of us do,” said Arthur, after thinking for a minute.

“Humph!” said Aunt Catherine.

Next time Chris was asked to luncheon, I was asked too. Father laughed at me, and teased me, but I went.

I was very much amused by the airs which Chris gave himself at table. He was perfectly well behaved, but, in his quiet, old-fashioned way, he certainly gave himself airs. We have only one man indoors–James; but Aunt Catherine has three–a butler, a footman, and a second footman. The second footman kept near Christopher, who sat opposite Aunt Catherine, (she made me sit on one side), and seemed to watch to attend upon him; but if Christopher did want anything, he always ignored this man, and asked the butler for it, and called him by his name.

After a bit, Aunt Catherine began to talk about the game again.

“Have you got anyone to serve them that have no garden, yet?” she asked.

Christopher shook his head, and said “No.”

“Humph,” said Aunt Catherine; “better take me into the game.”

“Could you be of any use?” asked Christopher. “Toast and water, Chambers.”

The butler nodded, as majestically as Chris himself, to the second footman, who flew to replenish the silver mug, which had been Lady Catherine’s when she was a little girl. When Christopher had drained it (he is a very thirsty boy), he repeated the question.

“Do you think you could be of any use?”

Mr. Chambers, the butler, never seems to hear anything that people say, except when they ask for something to eat or drink; and he does not often hear that, because he watches to see what you want, and gives it of himself, or sends it by the footman. He looks just as if he was having his photograph taken, staring at a point on the wall and thinking of nothing; but when Christopher repeated his question I saw Chambers frown, I believe he thinks Christopher presumes on Lady Catherine’s kindness, and does not approve of it.

It is quite the other way with Aunt Catherine. Just when you would think she must turn angry, and scold Chris for being rude, she only begins to laugh, and shakes like a jelly (she is very stout) and encourages him. She said,

“Take care all that toast and water doesn’t get into your head, Chris.”

She said that to vex him, because, ever since he heard that he had water on the brain, Chris is very easily affronted about his head. He was affronted now, and began to eat his bread-and-butter pudding in silence, Lady Catherine still shaking and laughing. Then she wiped her eyes, and said,

“Never mind, old man, I’m going to tell you something. Put the sugar and cream on the table, Chambers, and you needn’t wait.”

The men went out quietly, and Aunt Catherine went on:

“Where do you think I was yesterday? In the new barracks–a place I set my face against ever since they began to build it, and spoil one of my best peeps from the Rhododendron Walk. I went to see a young cousin of mine, who was fool enough to marry a poor officer, and have a lot of little boys and girls, no handsomer than you, Chris.”

“Are they as handsome?” said Chris, who had recovered himself, and was selecting currants from his pudding, and laying them aside for a final bonne bouche.

“Humph! Perhaps not. But they eat so much pudding, and wear out so many boots, that they are all too poor to live anywhere except in barracks.”

Christopher laid down his spoon, and looked as he always looks when he is hearing a sad story.

“Is barracks like the workhouse, Aunt Catherine?” he asked.

“A good deal like the workhouse,” said Aunt Catherine. Then she went on–“I told her Mother I could not begin calling at the barracks. There are some very low streets close by, and my coachman said he couldn’t answer for his horses with bugles, and perhaps guns, going off when you least expect them. I told her I would ask them to dinner; and I did, but they were engaged. Well, yesterday I changed my mind, and I told Harness that I meant to go to the barracks, and the horses would have to take me. So we started. When we were going along the upper road, between the high hedges, what do you think I saw?”