"Ah!" She looked at him with wistful disappointment. "Then I must not say any more. It has always seemed to me a most grievous thing, that money should unnecessarily play such an important part in these matters, and I should have been very sorry if it had been allowed to do so with you." Jack was touched--it was impossible not to feel that she was speaking from her heart--though he was no less stiffly determined to accept nothing at her hands. Nevertheless, she brightened at his tone, for he spoke warmly: "I am exceedingly obliged to you. Money has not made any difficulty here. And as to my working harder than I have done, it is more from shame for past idleness than from ambition for the future, I am afraid." "Jack," said his father, coming in at the door with a little girl clinging to each hand, "will you ride over to Whitcote this morning?" "Whitcote? Yes," said Jack, wondering; for Sir John seldom made these early expeditions. "Hastings wants me to look at the schools. There's a new Vicar coming in, and things have to be put straight. Time, too." "Jack," said little May, possessing herself of his hand, "tell us about Cartouche. Does he _always_ jump out of the window when you go back?" "And does he beg? Carlo begs," this from Effie. "Poor Cartouche!" said Jack, "I'm afraid he is wanting in all accomplishments." "Accomplishments means music and drawing," said May, with a stare. "Dogs don't do their scales." "Don't tease, children," said Lady Ibbetson. It was one of the things in which she and her step-son were at cross-purposes, for he was fond of children, and she always nervously afraid that they annoyed him. She carried them away now unwillingly, looking back and calling to Jack that he had promised to come into the school-room. It was not until they were close on Whitcote that he asked his father who the new Vicar was. "He's called Penington, I hear," said Sir John, pulling up his cob to look at a field of springing wheat. "Don't know the name, but Hastings speaks uncommonly well of him." "I met a man of that name in Rome. He had a sister with him." "That's he. Hastings said he had gone abroad for two or three months' rest before beginning work again. And I dare say he would have a sister. I hear he's a likely man to many. There's the Vicarage: you can see the chimneys; it's been uncommonly improved and made into really a nice place. Hallo, here comes Miss Ward. You recollect the Miss Wards, cousins of Mrs Hastings, and living in that little cottage half a mile on?" A kindly, intelligent faced woman greeted them. "Sir John, you are the very person I wished to see. _Do_ you know of a horse?" "Another horse, Miss Ward?"