It was some seconds, perhaps a minute, before he answered, then it was a very slow drawl. "Yes, exceedingly handsome."
Then they went home almost in silence, for Carstairs had recognized in Lady Cleeve's new housemaid, his gipsy girl from Scotland.
CHAPTER X
Early on the Monday morning the Reverend Hugh and his son Jack entrained for Southville. Jack was pre-occupied with some deep thought, and his father noticed it.
"Sorry to leave the old place, Jack?"
"Er—yes. Nothing touches this place for me."
"You must get to know some nice people at Southville."
Jack pulled himself together; he had been gazing earnestly at Lady Cleeve's house nestling in among the pine trees; the slope of a hill suddenly shut out the view, and Jack turned to his father with attention undivided. "You know I'm not so keen on the people as the work, but Darwen seems to think that in municipal work you can't get on at all without friends."
The parson's eyes lighted up with approval as he listened to his son. "Work is the thing that makes life enjoyable, but you must have friends, you know."