that he came to manhood his soul had kept the same attitude towards the
woman to whom the profile belonged. But he never alluded to the fact,
save in this silent way.

Then there was the Reverend Bennet Goldsworthy, "Church of England
minister", as his style and title ran. Privately, Mr Pennycuick did not
like him; but for the sake of the priestly office, and as being a
parishioner, he gave him the freedom of the house, and much besides.
The parson's buggy never went empty away. Redford hams, vegetables,
poultry, butter and eggs, etc., kept his larder supplied. His
horse-feed was derived therefrom; also his horse; also his cow. When
his cow began to fail, he promptly mentioned the fact--he was
mentioning it now to Mary Pennycuick. "Yes," he was saying, A PROPOS of
his motherless little girl--whom he often brought to Redford for
change of air, leaving her to the care of the sisters until convenient
to him to reclaim her--"yes, it will mean much to my child in after
life to have had the refining influences of this house at the most
impressionable age." Truth was, that Ruby was growing a little old for
her Kindergarten, and he wanted Redford to offer her (gratis, of
course) a share in Francie's governess. "I could not endure to see her
grow up like the daughters of so many of my brother clergy, ignorant of
the very rudiments of decent life"--meaning not decent life in the
ordinary acceptation of the term, but the life that included evening
dress and finger-glasses. "She has caught the colonial accent already
at that horrid school. 'When is the new keeow coming?' says she. And,
by the way, that reminds me--your good father promised me the cow a
fortnight ago. The one we have gives us hardly enough milk for the
table; we have had no butter from her for months."

"I am so sorry," grieved Mary, as if Redford had failed in its sacred