It may be mentioned here, among other elements of difficulty, that Cecil’s maid Grindstone was a thorough Dunstonite, who ‘kept herself to herself,’ was perfectly irreproachable, lived on terms of distant civility with the rest of the household, never complained, but constantly led her young mistress to understand that she was enduring much for her sake.
Cecil was too well trained, and so was she, for a word of gossip or censure to pass between them; but the influence was not the less strong.
CHAPTER XII
Pastoral Visiting
A finger’s breadth at hand may mar
A world of light in heaven afar;
A mote eclipse a glorious star,
An eyelid hide the sky.—KEBLE.
The dinner was over, and Cecil was favouring the audience with a severely classical piece of music, when, under cover thereof, a low voice said to Julius, “Now, really and truly, tell me how he is getting on?”
“Really and truly, Jenny?”
“Well, not as you would tell mamma, for instance; but as you think in your secret soul.”
“I am sorry you think me so duplex.”
“Come, you understand how anxious I am about the boy.”
“Exactly.” And they both laughed.