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. "Is that all?" said Joanna Bowater. "_Really and truly_ it is! Rose can manage him much better than I can." "He is very fond of her; but does he--is he--is his heart in his work?" asked the sister, looking with her honest eyes earnestly at Julius, her contemporary and playfellow as a child, and afterwards the companion with whom she had worked out many a deep problem, rendering mutual assistance that made each enter in no common degree into the inner thoughts of the other. Julius smiled. "I doubt whether he has come to his heart yet." "Why should he be so young? Think what you were at twenty-three." "I never had Herbert's physique; and that makes an immense difference. I had no taste or capacity for what is a great privation to a fine young fellow like him. Don't look startled! He attempts nothing unfitting; he is too good and dutiful, but--" "Yes, I know what that _but_ means." "Nothing to be unhappy about. You know how blameless he has always been at Eton and Oxford; and though he may view his work rather in a school-boy aspect, and me as a taskmaster, as long as he is doing right the growth is going on. Don't be unhappy, Jenny! His great clear young voice is delightful to hear; he is capital at choral practices, and is a hero to all the old women and boys, the more so for the qualities that earnestness cannot give, but rather detracts from." "You mean that he is not in earnest?" "Don't pervert all I say! He is not past the time of life when all appointed work seems a task, and any sort of excuse a valid cause against it; but he is conscientious, and always good-humoured under a scolding,--and Rosamond does not spare him," he added, laughing. "Then you don't think there has been a mistake about him?" said Jenny, in a low voice of alarm.