"Dan'l, sir," said that young lady, who spoke very severely, as if she could hardly contain her feelings; "and he'd be glad to know if you could see him a minute."

"Send him in, Maria," said the doctor; and then, as the housemaid left the room, "Well, it can't be anything about Dexter now, because he is out there on the--"

The doctor's words were delivered more and more slowly as he rose and walked toward the open window, while Helen felt uneasy, and full of misgivings.

"Why, the young dog was here just now," cried the doctor angrily. "Now, really, Helen, if he has been at any tricks this time, I certainly will set up a cane."

"O papa!"

"Yes, my dear, I certainly will, much as I object to corporal punishment. Well, Daniel, what is it!"

Old Dan'l had a straw hat in his hand--a hat that was rather ragged at the edge, and with which, as if it was to allay some irritation, he kept sawing one finger.

"Beg pardon, sir--pardon, Miss," said Dan'l apologetically; "but if I might speak and say a few words--"

"Certainly, Daniel; you may do both," said the doctor.

"Thanky, sir--thanky kindly, Miss," said the gardener, half-putting his hat on twice so as to have it in the proper position for making a bow; "which I'm the last man in the world, sir, to make complaints."

"Humph!" e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed the doctor.

"Serving you as I have now for over twenty year, and remembering puffickly well, Miss, when you was only a pink bit of a baby, as like one o' my tender carnations as could be, only more like a Count dee Parish rose."

"Well, what's the matter, Daniel?" said the doctor hastily, for he wanted to bring the old man's prosings to an end.

"Well, sir, heverythink, as you may say, is the matter. Look at me, sir; I've suffered more in that garden than mortal man would believe!"

"Oh, have you!" said the doctor, taking off his gla.s.ses. "You don't look so very bad, Daniel, for a man of sixty-five."

"Sixty-four and three-quarters, begging your pardon, sir; but I have suffered. I've laid awake nights and nights thinking of what was best for planting them borders with s'rubs, as is now a delight to the human eye; and I've walked that garden hundreds o' nights with a lanthorn in search o' slugs, as comes out o' they damp meadows in in counted millions; and I've had my cares in thrips and red spider and green fly, without saying a word about scale and them other blights as never had no name. But never in my life--never in all my born days--never since I was first made a gardener, have I suffered anythink like as I've suffered along o' that there boy."

"Nonsense, Daniel! nonsense!" cried the doctor pettishly.

"Well, sir, I've served you faithful, and took such a pride in that there garden as never was, and you may call it nonsense, sir, but when I see things such as I see, I say it's time to speak."

"Why, you are always coming to me with some petty complaint, sir, about that boy."

"Petty complaint, sir!" cried Dan'l indignantly. "Is Ribstons a petty complaint--my chycest Ribstons, as I want for dessert at Christmas? And is my Sturmer pippins a petty complaint--them as ought to succeed the Ribstons in Febbery and March?"

"Why, what about them?" cried the doctor.

"Oh, nothing, sir; only as half the town's t'other side o' the river, and my pippins is being shovelled over wholesale."

The doctor walked out into the hall and put on his hat, with Dan'l following him; and, after a moment's hesitation, Helen took up a sunshade, and went down the garden after her father.

She overtook him as he was standing by a handsome espalier, dotted with the tawny red-streaked Ribstons, while Dan'l was pointing to a couple of newly-made footmarks.

"Humph! Not all gone, then?" said the doctor, frowning.

"Not yet!" growled Dan'l. "And see there, Miss; there was four stunners on that there little branch this mornin', and they're all gone!"

"Where is Master Dexter?" said the doctor.

Dan'l made a jerking motion with his thumb over his right shoulder, and the doctor walked on over the gra.s.s toward the bottom of the grounds.

The little party advanced so noiselessly that they were unheard, and in another minute they were near enough to hear Dexter exclaim--

"Now, then; this time--catch!"

The doctor stopped short in time to see, according to Dan'l's version, the Ribstons and Sturmers thrown across the river to half the town.

"Half the town," according to Dan'l, consisted of Bob Dimsted, who had laid down his rough fishing-rod, and was holding half an apple in one hand, munching away the while, as he caught another deftly; and he was in the act of stuffing it into his pocket as he caught sight of the doctor, and stood for a few moments perfectly motionless. Then, stooping quickly, he gathered up his tackle and ran.

"What's the matter!" cried Dexter.

Bob made no reply, but ran off; and as he did so, Dexter laughingly took another apple from his pocket--a hard green Sturmer pippin, which he threw with such force and accuracy that it struck Bob right in the middle of the back, when the boy uttered a cry of alarm, ran more swiftly, and Dexter stood for a moment roaring with laughter, and then turned to find himself face to face with the trio who had come down the garden.

"And them pippins worth twopence apiece at Christmas, sir!" cried Dan'l.

"What are you doing, Dexter!" cried the doctor sternly.

"I was only giving him an apple or two," said the boy, after a few moments' hesitation.

"Come in, sir," cried the doctor.

"A month's notice, if you please, sir, from to-day," said Dan'l, frowning angrily; but no one paid any heed to him, for the doctor had laid his hand upon Dexter's shoulder, and marched him off.

"And I've never said nothing yet about our bees," grumbled Dan'l. "A young tyke! Raddled 'em up with a long stick on purpose to get me stung to death, he did, as is a ma.s.sy I warn't. Well, a month to-day. Either he goes or I do. Such whims, to have a boy like that about the place.

Well, I'm glad I've brought it to a head, for the doctor won't part with me."

"Now, sir," said the doctor, as he seated himself in his chair, and Helen took up her work, carefully keeping her eyes off Dexter, who looked at her appealingly again and again. "Now, sir, what have you to say for yourself?"

Dexter looked at the doctor, and his countenance was so unpleasantly angry that the ceiling, the floor, and the various objects around seemed preferable, and were carefully observed in turn.

"Do you hear, sir? What have you to say for yourself!"

"What about?" faltered Dexter at last.

"What about, sir? Just as if you did not know! Weren't you forbidden to touch those apples!"

"Only by Daniel, sir; and he said I was never to touch any fruit at all; but you said I might."

"Yes--I did. I said you might have some fruit."

"Apples is fruit," said Dexter.

"_Are_ fruit--_are_ fruit, sir," cried the doctor, in an exasperated tone.