chintz that is dark and bright at once. I have money. Oh, we are going
to be rich now, Barker; and you shall not be stinted in your marketing
any more. And this is going to be very nice, _inside_.'

To the outside Esther could not get accustomed. It gave her a kind of
prick of dismay every time she saw it anew. What would her father say
when _he_ saw it? Yet she had done right and wisely; of that she had no
doubt at all; it was very unreasonable that, her judgment being
satisfied, her feeling should rebel. Yet it did rebel. When did ever
one of her family live in such a place before? They had come down
surely very far, to make it possible. Only in the matter of money, to
be sure; but then, money has to do largely with the outward appearance
one makes, and upon the appearance depends much of the effect upon
one's fellow-creatures. The whisper would come back in Esther's mind:
Who will believe you are what you are, if they see you coming out of
such a house? And what then? she answered the whisper. If the Lord has
given us this place to dwell in, that and all other effects and
consequences of it are part of His will in the matter. What if we are
to be overlooked and looked down upon? what have I to do with it? what
matters it? Let pride be quiet, and faith be very thankful. Here are
all my difficulties set aside, and no danger of not paying our debts
any more.

She reasoned so, and fought against pride, if pride it were, which took
the other side. She _would_ be thankful; and she was. Nevertheless, a
comparison would arise now and then with the former times, and with
their state at Seaforth; and further back still, with the beauties and
glories of the old manor house in England. Sometimes Esther felt a
strange wave of regret come over her at the thought of the gay circle
of relations she did not know, who were warm in the shelter of
prosperity and the cheer of numbers. She knew herself in a better
shelter, yes, and in a better cheer; and yet sometimes, as I said, an
odd feeling of loss and descent would come over her as she entered
Major Street Esther was working hard these days, which no doubt had
something to do with this. She rushed from her morning duties to the
school; then at three o'clock rushed to Major Street; and from there,
when it grew too dark to work, drove home to minister to her father.
Probably her times of discouragement were times when she was a little
tired. The thought was very far from her usually.