“We must ask Jack to write a book about the pictures at Oakby;” while Gipsy, seeing it all, laughed, spite of herself.
“Ah, Gipsy, he is carrying his lady’s colours, like a true knight,” said Cherry softly, as Jack faced round and inquired,—
“What are you laughing at?”
“Who lectures on art at Oxford, Jack?” said Cherry. “What a first-rate fellow he must be!”
“Ah, he is indeed a great teacher,” said Alvar, “who has taught Jack to love art.”
“A mighty teacher,” said Cherry, under his breath.
“Of course,” said Jack, “as one sees more of the world, one comes to take an interest in new fields of thought.”
“Why, yes,” said Gipsy, recovering from Cherry’s words, and flying to the rescue, “we all learned a great deal about art at Seville.”
“My dear,” said Mrs Stanforth, “aren’t you going to show them the knights?”
For she thought to herself that if a year was to pass before Jack’s intentions could meet with an acknowledgment, his visits had better be few and far between, especially in the presence of Cherry’s mischievous encouragement. “Mr Stanforth himself being as bad,” as she afterwards remarked to him.