"Take care, Miss Elizabeth," said Winthrop, as her foot slipped in the muddy way, -- "or you will have more to remember than would be convenient. You had better take my arm." So she did; musing a little curiously at herself and that arm, which she had seen in a shirt-sleeve, carrying a pickaxe on shoulder; and making up her mind in spite of it all that she didn't care! So the walk home was not otherwise than comfortable. Indeed the beauty of it was more than once remarked on by both parties. "Well!" said Rose, when at last Elizabeth came into the room where she was sitting, -- "have you got home?" "Yes." "What have you been doing all this while?" "Getting very angry at you in the first place; and then cooling down as usual into the reflection that it was not worth while." "Well, I hope Winthrop made good use of his opportunity?" "Yes, he did," said Elizabeth coolly, taking off her things. "And you have engaged him at last as your admirer?" "Not at all; -- I have only engaged a little black girl to be my servant." "A servant! What?" "What do you mean by 'what'?" said Elizabeth contemptuously. "I mean, what sort of a servant?" "I am sure I don't know -- a black servant." "But what for?" "To do my bidding." "But what is she? and where did you pick her up?" "She is an odd little fish called Clam; and I didn't pick her up at all; -- Mr. Landholm did that." "O ho!" said Rose, -- "it's a joint concern! -- that's it. But I think you are beginning to make up your household very early." Elizabeth flung down her shoe and lifted her head, and Miss Cadwallader shrunk; even before her companion said with imperious emphasis, "Rose, how dare you! --" Rose did not dare, against the flushed face and eye of fire which confronted her. She fell back into her chair and her book and was dumb. CHAPTER XX. _Ford_. They do say, if money go before, all ways do lie open. _Fal_. Money is a good soldier, sir, and will on. MERRY WIVES OF WINDSOR. Somewhat to Winthrop's surprise, Clam came the next day to remind him of his promise; very much in earnest to wear a clean frock and have her dinner regular. She was duly bound, and entered into clean service accordingly. The indentures were made out to Miss Haye; but for the present Clam was put to learn her business under somebody that knew it; and for that end was finally sent to Mrs. Landholm. A week or two with Mrs. Nettley proved to the satisfaction of both parties that neither would much advantage the other. At Shahweetah, Clam, as Mrs. Landholm expressed it, "took a new start," and got on admirably. What much favoured this, was the fact that she speedily became very much attached to the whole family; with the single exception of Karen, between whom and herself there was an unallayed state of friction; a friction that probably served only to better Clam's relish of her dinner, while poor Karen declared "she didn't leave her no rest day nor night." "She's not a bad child, Karen," said her mistress.