made the other boys' sisters seem dim. These two were laying the
foundations for possible intimacy later on, though there was too much
against it now.

The Parson felt it as a matter for self-reproach that he never became
really fond of Vassie; her hardness, and a certain set determination
about her that was rather fine as well, blinded him to her good points.
She was certainly unlovable at that period, but she and the Parson had
natures which would mutually fail to respond at the best of times. Being
what he was, this made him all the more careful to do all he could for
her, but he never rejoiced in her really quick intellect as he did in
the slow sensitive one of Ishmael, or even in the kittenish
superficiality of Phoebe's.

For the miller had no rest when he heard what was going on at the
Vicarage of a morning until his Phoebe was reaping equal benefits, or
benefits that would have been equal had Phoebe the temperament to
avail herself of them. If the Parson had not possessed a natural genius
for teaching, even his patience would never have survived those
schoolroom struggles with three children of differing ages and
capacities. But he was interested in Vassie's determination to improve
herself, and of little Phoebe he was fond in the way one cannot help
being fond of some soft confiding little animal that rubs up against
one.

The miller built much on those few years of childish friendship during
which he told himself his Phoebe too was learning to be as good as
anyone else, but the Parson had no fears on that score. Ishmael was
going, as he saw things, to be a man of wider ideas than ever little
facile Phoebe, with her superficial quickness in acquiring anything
"lady-like," would be able to fill.

Meanwhile, the Parson told Ishmael, in language that made everything
seem clean and wonderful, as much as he thought wise of the mysteries
which had perplexed him and Jacka's John-Willy over the snail. The
ideals Ishmael gradually absorbed during these years made the thought of
the furtive conversations with John-Willy seem hateful, and with their
swift acquisitiveness of values both little girls appreciated that he
would be superior to them if they indulged in any of the vulgarities
most children are apt to fall into at one period, harmless enough in
fact, but not cleansing to the mind. Therefore each of the three
affected the other two in some way, and the pattern of Ishmael's life,
though so essentially isolated