The Mighty and Their Fall (4 page)

“I have had that change before. I don't know what I shall be. It is for someone else to decide. I daresay she has done so.”

“What power a woman can have!” said Lavinia. “And how she can be in the power of another! Father must have known it.”

“I wonder if this one can use power,” said Egbert.

“Not without misusing it,” said Selina. “Few of us can do that. There is little hope that she is one of them. And we see that she will have it.”

“What shall I do in the times when I was alone with Father?” said Lavinia, taking refuge in open words.

“What I shall,” said her grandmother. “There will be nothing to do.”

“Not for me,” said Hugo. “I shall spend more time with Lavinia. I don't know if I am grateful to Ninian or vindictive towards him. People can be unsure of their own feelings. It means they have two kinds.”

“Grandma, will you leave us?” said Egbert. “We must say the things that are not for you to hear.”

Selina nodded and left the room, lifting her shoulders in resignation to her duties, as long as they remained to her.

“So Father is to marry a wife,” said Egbert. “It is very masculine of him. I have always appreciated his feminine streak. And now I am afraid it is not there.”

“People ought not to marry openly,” said Hugo. “It is one of those things that should be recognised but veiled.”

“It is humbling to accept what is to do you harm,” said Lavinia. “It means you put others before yourself, and naturally that is despised. It is odd that it is held to be esteemed.”

“I was grateful to you and Miss Starkie, Uncle,” said Egbert. “Father can't shut his eyes to all human claims.”

“He said all was fair in love and war. I have always thought it an immoral saying.”

“It means the opposite of what it says. But why say all is unfair in love and war? We all know it. Anyhow Father does.”

“He feels I have failed him,” said Lavinia. “And knows it would be worse for him, if I had not.”

“He is too sunk in his own life to remember anything,” said Egbert.

“And we are to find that comforting? Suppose we followed his example!”

“This will pursue us to the end. In old age we shall remember being cast from our place.”

“In our youth we shall suffer it. And it may lead to things we can foresee.”

“I did not dare to ask Father what she was like,” said Egbert.

“I purposely did not ask him. I did not want to show interest in her. And so showed how much I had.”

“I hope I shall never have the feelings of a normal man,” said Hugo. “I am sure he is more normal than anyone else.”

“May I clear the table now, sir?” said Ainger, at the door, looking past Lavinia, as though to spare her.

“Yes, clear it, of course. Other people will be coming in.”

“So the news has transpired, sir,” said Ainger, as he
pursued the task. “Changes come and carry us with them.”

“That sounds more comfortable than it is.”

“This one was a surprise, sir? Those who are nearest! They may be too close to see.”

“That might be fortunate for them, if the closeness retained its virtue. But it loses it at the critical moment. Do you mean you were prepared?”

“Well, the wind blows, sir. And we know what is said.”

“I suppose it is always doing that,” said Lavinia. “I wonder more does not happen.”

“Well, an amount does, miss. Might I perhaps step to the door? The cloth for the crumbs escaped my memory.”

“Oh, come in, Cook. So you were not surprised by the news?”

“Well, it was a matter of intuition, miss. And that has never been my weak side.”

“It seems it was ours, and that of the whole family.”

“Well, what is under our eyes, miss. And in your case experience was wanting.”

“Well, we have it now. And it is held to be an advantage. Though it can seem an odd view.”

“You put a face on it, miss,” said Cook, with a sympathy blunter than Ainger's. “It is what is due. Some must not betray themselves.”

“How do you feel about having a new mistress?” said Egbert.

“It is a premature enquiry, sir. We have not dwelt on the matter. We have our occupations.”

“Surely this is one of them,” said Lavinia.

“Well, miss, it remains uncertain. We can only wait.”

“But all things come when we do that. It will do no good.”

“The master has his rights, miss. It has to be said.”

“It seemed it did have to. We all said it. I think he did so the most.”

“We are all held to have them,” said Ainger. “But I have asked myself what they are in my case.”

“Then you can answer yourself, Ainger,” said Cook. “You do not happen to be the subject.”

“Do you think about yours, Cook?” said Hugo. “It is a thing I have not had to do, as I am without them.”

“It is not a point to dwell on, sir. I have my place.”

“And I have mine,” said Ainger. “And it seems I shall always have it.”

“If you fill it, Ainger, and with your might,” said Cook. “The question has another side.”

“Well, fate can strike any of our party at any time,” said Ainger, whose speech gained freedom in the absence of Selina and Ninian.

“And whom do you include in the term? You are not coupled with those otherwise placed.”

“Destiny is over all of us, high or low.”

“And is it for one of the last to express the matter?”

“The candlesticks tarnish, miss,” said Ainger, polishing one as a pretext for lingering. “And things will have to be in shape. You have not seen the lady, I suppose?”

“Did you not use your ears at luncheon?” said Egbert.

“Well, his place was there, sir,” said Cook, in a condoning manner.

“Yes. Where else was he to use them?”

“How I used mine!” said Hugo. “I could not have borne to be anywhere else.”

“Only some of us should have ears,” said Ainger, shaking out his leather.

“Is the candlestick tarnishing already?” said Egbert.

“You need not touch on distinctions, Ainger,” said Cook. “There are states of life and we are called.”

“‘When Adam delved and Eve span,
Who was then the gentleman?'”

murmured Ainger, with a hint of revolving on his heels.

“And did you happen to be on the spot, then?”

“No, I have never heard there was a third. And anyhow it was not your humble servant.”

“Ainger, if it is a subject for lightness, it is time to withdraw. And do you think no one is present?”

“I regret the withdrawal,” said Egbert. “I needed comfort and I have had it.”

“So have I,” said Lavinia. “People in trouble are easily grateful. It confirms that we are in it.”

“What are you in?” said Selina, entering with her son.

“In a new position,” said Egbert.

“You make too much of it,” said Ninian. “Gossiping in here together! Why did you not go with the others?”

“You know we often stay behind,” said Lavinia. “Or you did know until today.”

“There is safety in numbers,” said Egbert. “Do we need the protection of the herd?”

“Your place is with it. Do you see yourselves as people apart?”

“As apart from the children. That is how we are seen. It is what we are.”

“You need not magnify the gulf. You can prove the parable of the faggot, if you hold together. But you must not make my wife and me afraid of you. Not that she is afraid of much.”

“Describe her to us, Father,” said Lavinia.

“Oh, you will see her for yourselves. There is no need to hurry forward. She has not asked for a description of all of you.”

“It would have been rash,” said Hugo. “Perhaps something warned her.”

“What are we to call her, Father?”

“Oh, it will be for her to say. I don't know how she will see you. It may depend on yourselves.”

“What would you like yourself, Ninian?” said his mother. “You must have thought of it.”

“If you will believe me, I had not. There will be time
to consider it. She will have enough of names. I have not deluged her with them.”

“You were wise,” said Egbert. “She has not Miss Starkie's experience.”

“She will feel her own,” said Ninian, “if she is to be subjected to this.”

“How old is she, my son?” said Selina. “It is odd that I have not asked.”

“None of you can be accused of that kind of oddness. She is my age or a little older.”

“So there will be no children. Well, you will feel there are enough.”

“Yes, there is a full quiver. We do not need to add to it. Our life will be with each other.”

“She might like a child of her own,” said Egbert.

“What do you know about
her
?” said Ninian.

“Nothing. And it seems we are not to know more.”

“You will know in time, as I have said. You hardly seemed so anxious for what was before you.”

“That does not mean we should have no idea what it is.”

“You will all be at your best with her?” said Ninian, in another tone. “I feel I keep having glimpses of another side.”

“Few people can give a shock, without meeting those,” said Selina.

“Well, I am not one of them. And there is a risk that it may be remembered.”

“Well, do not forget that other people have memories.”

“How did you meet her, Father?” said Lavinia. “We can hardly speak of her without asking questions. And there is no one else in your thoughts.”

“Not long ago. Not far from here. And quite by chance.”

“And you were meant for each other?” said Selina. “So it might have been arranged before. Your mother would have thought of it.”

“So it is chance that leads us to retrace our steps,”
said Egbert. “We speak of it too lightly. Nothing seems to achieve so much.”

“You show me you have never taken the steps,” said Ninian. “You make me wish for someone who has done so. When you and your sister were with me, you did not think of me as having no one but you. You did your best; you could not have done better; I am grateful to you. How could you know that in such a case it is the elder who suffers, that whatever you gave to me, I gave more to you? I ask for no change in yourselves, only that you will be what you have been. It is the change in you that disturbs me.”

“There is other change, my son,” said Selina. “You cannot expect them not to see it.”

“Of course there is change. I feel it in myself. I am doing what I am, to make it. It is time it came. I shall no longer live as the father and guide of other people. I shall live as myself, with someone who can return what I give. You find the change unwelcome? It is not to me. Have you really thought it is? In other words what are you to me?”

“Your mother, my son. It is what I shall always be. And if your wife does this for you, I will be her mother too. And a wary, wise old mother, if that is best for you. It will be what is best for me.”

“Some things are best for us all,” said Ninian, going to the door. “There is no good in putting our faculties to a doubtful use. I think we all see it.”

“So Father has thrown away the past,” said Lavinia. “What will he get from the future? We never recover what we have lost. He will not and I shall not.”

“They say there is never loss without gain,” said Hugo. “I have wondered if it is true. Now I am to lose Ninian, I shall find out. And I think it is.”

“Well, here is my family,” said Ninian. “The family that will be yours. I will only present my mother. You will distinguish the rest by degrees. This is enough for the moment.”

“What are we to call her?” said Hengist, in a low tone.

“Stepmother,” said Leah, with her face grave.

“Oh, I hardly think that will do,” said Miss Starkie. “And she is not that as yet.”

“We shall have to be told something,” said Hengist. “Or we must just say
her
and
she
.”

“Well, I hope you will not do that. You have been taught better.”

“It need not be settled at the moment,” said Ninian. “It is hardly an urgent question.”

“I had not thought of it,” said his future wife. “And it does not matter.”

“We could say
Mother
if she would like it,” said Agnes, gently.

“Oh, she does not want to adopt the tribe,” said her father. “That is asking too much.”

“Agnes didn't ask it,” said Hengist. “What she said was different.”

“Perhaps my Christian name would do. I can't think of anything better.”

“It would be almost worse for children to say, than
she
and
her
,” said Leah.

“Well, I know what you mean,” said Miss Starkie. “And I can understand the feeling. But it is not for you to decide.”

“Luncheon is ready, ma'am,” said Ainger at the door.

“Why did he say it to Grandma and not to
her
?” said Hengist.

“Grandma is the mistress of the house,” said Ninian. “The change has not come yet. And say
Mrs. Chilton
for the time.”

“Mrs.?” said Leah, looking up. “Then has she a husband?”

“No, she is a widow. And you had better know she has no children. She may be congratulating herself on it.”

“Now you know everything,” said Miss Starkie. “So you need not ask anything more.”

“It is not wrong to ask questions,” said Leah.

“It can seem the most unsympathetic of failings,” said her father.

“Why doesn't she sit at the end of the table, if she is going to be Father's wife? Isn't she equal to him?”

“She isn't until she is married,” said Hengist. “Then she will be a little better, because she is a woman.”