A Family and a Fortune (12 page)

‘I hope they will let me stay for a while. It is what I need anyhow, a home and old friends at this time of my life.'

‘And there are new friends here for you. I do trust that you realize that.'

‘I have been made to feel it. And they do not seem to me quite new, as they are relations of such old ones.'

‘Dear Aunt Matty, she does attach people to her in her own way.'

‘We have enjoyed it so much, Mrs Gaveston. We shall have a great deal to think and talk of,' said Sarah, able to express her own view of the occasion.

‘We need not thank you,' said Thomas, uttering the words with a sincere note and acting upon them.

‘You did not mind the inclusion of Aubrey?' said Justine. ‘It is so difficult to keep one member of the family apart, and we know Mr Middleton is used to boys.'

‘Can that give him only one view of them?' said Mark.

‘Oh, come, he would not have given his best years to
them if they had not meant something to him. I daresay he often finds his thoughts harking back to the old days.'

‘His best years!' said Sarah, laughing at youth's view of a man in his prime.

‘Mr Middleton, what do you think of the little boy?' said Justine in a lowered tone. ‘Don't look at him; he is enough in the general eye; but would you in the light of your long experience put him above or below the level?'

Thomas was hampered in his answer by being forbidden to look at the subject of it, a thing he had hardly done.

‘He seems to strike his own note in his talk,' he said in a serious tone, trying to recall what he had heard.

‘Yes, that is what I think,' said Justine, as if the words had considerable import, ‘I am privately quite with you. But quiet; keep it in the dark; tell it not in Gath. Little pitchers have long ears. You see I feel quite maternally towards my youngest brother.'

Thomas was able to give a smile of agreement, and he added one of understanding.

‘Do you think that we are alike as a family, Miss Sloane?' said Blanche, willing for comment upon her children.

‘Really, Mother, poor Miss Sloane! We have surely had enough from her tonight.'

Maria regarded the faces round her, causing Aubrey to drop his eyes with a smile as of some private reminiscence.

‘I think I see a likeness between your brother-in-law and your youngest son.'

‘A triumph, Miss Sloane!' said Justine. ‘That is a great test, and you are through it at a step. Now you can turn to the rest of us with confidence.'

‘But perhaps with other feelings,' said Mark. ‘Miss Sloane will think that we have one resemblance, an undue interest in ourselves.'

‘In each other, let us say. She will not mind that.'

‘I think there are several other family likenesses,' said Maria.

‘And they are obvious, Miss Sloane. Quite unworthy of a discerning eye. You have had the one great success and you will rest on that. Well, I think that there is nothing more
fascinating than pouncing on the affinities in a family and tracing them to their source. I do not pity anyone for being asked to do it, because I like so much to do it myself.'

‘Must it be a safe method of judging?' said Clement.

‘Now, young man, I have noticed that this is not one of your successful days. I can only assure Miss Sloane that you have another side.'

It now emerged that Matty and her father had reached the carriage, and the party moved on with the surge of a crowd released. Justine withheld her brothers from the hall with an air of serious admonishment, and assisted Edgar and Blanche and Dudley to speed the guests.

‘Good-bye, Miss Griffin,' she called at the last moment. ‘That is right, Uncle; hand Miss Griffin into the carriage. Good night all.'

The family reassembled in the drawing-room.

‘Now there is an addition to our circle,' said Justine.

‘Indeed, yes, she is a charming woman,' said Blanche. ‘I had not remembered how charming. It is so nice to see anyone gain with the years, as she has.'

‘I believe I have been silent and unlike myself,' said Dudley. ‘Perhaps Justine will explain to her about me, as she has about Clement.'

‘Indeed I will, Uncle, and with all my heart.'

‘I find that I want her good opinion. I do not agree that we should not mind what other people think of us. Consider what would happen if we did not.'

‘Miss Sloane behaved with a quiet heroism,' said Mark.

‘Under a consistent persecution,' said his brother.

‘Oh, things were not as bad as that,' said Justine. ‘She did not mind being asked to look at the family. Why should she?'

‘She could hardly give her reasons.'

‘And she was not actually asked to look at Aubrey,' said Mark. ‘If her eyes were drawn to him by some morbid attraction, it was not our fault.'

‘Don't be so silly,' said his mother at once.

‘I really wonder that she was not struck by the likeness between you and Uncle, Father,' said Justine.

‘We may perhaps accept an indifference to any further likeness,' said Edgar with a smile.

‘We have to make conversation with our guests,' said his wife.

‘I am glad that my look of Uncle flitted across my face,' said Aubrey.

‘Little boy,' said Justine, pointing to the clock, ‘what about Mr Penrose tomorrow? He does not want to be confronted by a sleepy-head.'

‘Good night, darling,' said Blanche, kissing her son without looking at him and addressing her husband. ‘I do hope Matty enjoyed the evening. I could see that my father did. I am sure that everything was done for her. And Miss Sloane's arrival was quite a little personal triumph.'

‘I could see it was,' said Mark, ‘but I did not quite know why. It seemed that it had happened rather unfortunately.'

‘Yes, dear Grandpa was quite content,' said Justine. ‘He does like to be a man among men. We cannot expect him not to get older.'

‘We can and do,' said Mark, ‘but it is foolish of us.'

‘I was sincerely glad of Aunt Matty's little success. It was something for her, herself, apart from what she was taking from us, something for her to give of her own. It seemed to be just what she wanted.'

‘I think Miss Griffin will enjoy having Miss Sloane,' said Blanche, guarding her tone from too much expression.

‘And I am glad of that from my soul,' said Justine, stretching her arms. ‘I would rather have Miss Griffin's pleasure than my own any day. And now I am going to bed. I have enjoyed every minute of the evening, but there is nothing more exhausting than a thorough-going family function.'

‘You need not work so hard at it,' said Clement.

‘Clement has a right to speak,' said Mark. ‘He has followed his line.'

‘Yes, anyhow I have done my best. I could spare myself a good deal if I had some support.'

‘Yes, that is true, Clement dear,' said Blanche. ‘You ought to come out of yourself a little and try to support the talk.'

‘Is it worthy of any effort?'

‘If it is worthy of Justine's, it is worthy of yours. That goes without saying.'

‘Then why not let it do so?'

‘I had not realized that we were indebted to Clement for any regard of us,' said Edgar.

‘I believe I had without knowing it,' said Dudley. ‘I believe I felt some influence at work, which checked my spirits and rendered me less than myself.'

‘Really, Clement, you should not do it,' said Blanche, turning to her son with a scolding note as she learned his course.

Clement walked towards the door.

‘We will follow - perhaps we will follow our custom of parting for the night,' said his father.

‘Good night, Mother,' said Clement, slouching to Blanche as if he hardly knew what he did.

‘Good night, dear,' said the latter, caressing his shoulder to atone for her rebuke. ‘You will remember what I say.'

‘Father is sometimes nothing short of magnificent,' said Justine. ‘The least said and the most done. I envy his touch with the boys. Good night, Father, and thanks from your admiring daughter.'

Edgar stooped and held himself still, while Justine threw her arms about his neck and kissed him on both cheeks, a proceeding which always seemed to him to take some time.

‘I was so proud of them all,' said Blanche, when her children had gone. ‘I do see that Matty has much less than I have. I ought to remember it.'

‘You ought not,' said Dudley. ‘You ought to assume that she has quite as much. I am always annoyed when people think that I have less than Edgar, because he has a wife and family and an income and a place, and I have not. I like them to see that all that makes no difference.'

‘Neither does it to you, because you share it all.'

‘That is not the same. I like it to be thought that there is no need for me to share it, that that is just something extra. I hope Miss Sloane thinks so.'

‘Has Miss Sloane as much as Blanche?' said Edgar, smiling.

‘Yes, she has,' said his wife, with sudden emphasis. ‘She is such a finished, satisfying person that anything she lacks is more than balanced by what she has and what she gives. I am not at all a woman to feel that everyone must have the same. I am prepared to yield her the place in some things, as she must yield it to me in others. And I think she will be such a good example for Justine.' Blanche put her needle into her work without alluding to her intention of going to bed, and observing Dudley retrieving her glasses and putting them into their case, seemed about to speak of it, but let the image fade. ‘I mean in superficial ways. It is the last thing we should wish, that the dear girl's fundamental lines should be changed. We are to have breakfast half an hour later: did I remember to tell Jellamy? I must go and see if Aubrey is asleep. Good night, Edgar; good night, Dudley. I hope my father has got to bed. He seemed to be feeling his age tonight. If you are going to talk, don't sit up too long. And if you smoke in the library, mind the sparks.'

‘We must be a little later than Blanche means,' said Dudley, as he brought the cigars to his brother and sat down out of reach of them himself. ‘I want to talk about how Matty behaved. Better than usual, but so badly. And about how Miss Sloane behaved. Beautifully. I do admire behaviour; I love it more than anything. Blanche has the behaviour of a person who has no evil in her; and that is the rarest kind, and I have a different admiration for it.'

‘I fear we cannot say much for Clement on the point.'

‘We will not say anything. The less said about it, the better, and it is silly to say that and then talk about it.'

‘Do you think he is developing on the right lines?'

‘People don't alter at his age as much as older people think.

‘How old is he?' said Clement's father, wishing to know at this stage.

‘Twenty-six the month before last. The change now must be slow. Perhaps the lad ought to be a grief to me, but I don't suffer a great deal; I hardly even think of him as the
lad. To tell you the truth, I feel so young myself that I hardly feel I am any older than he is; but you will not tell anyone that. And now I have made one confession, the ice is broken and I should be able to make another. But do not look at me or I could not make it. You are looking at me, and for the first time in my life I cannot meet your eyes. Why don't you tell me to sit down quietly on that little stool and tell you everything?'

‘Well, do that.'

‘You know my old godfather?'

‘The one who is ninety-six?'

‘Yes, that one; I have no other. At least, of course people have two godfathers, but the other is dead. And now this one is dead too. I hope he was not feeling his age, but I expect he felt as young as Clement. You know he had no children?'

‘Yes, I had heard it, or I think I had. Has he left you any money?'

‘Edgar, is it possible that your thoughts have run on sordid lines?'

‘I had not thought of it until this moment.'

‘I am glad of that. I should not like to feel that I had lost my brother. It would be quite different from losing a godfather.'

‘It would in the matter of money,' said Edgar, with his short laugh. ‘Is it surprising that a childless man should leave money to his godson?'

‘Yes, very. People have not any money. And they always have a family. It is very rare to have the first and not the second. I can't think of another case, only of the opposite one. We see that Matty has relations.'

‘I did not know that he had much money.'

‘I see you will feel the shock as well. I am not alone in my distress.'

‘Why is it distress? Why not the opposite feeling?'

‘Edgar, you must know that money is the cause of all evil. It is the root of it.'

‘How did he get so much?'

‘He speculated and made it. I knew he speculated, but I thought that people always lost every farthing. And it is
wrong to speculate, and has left the fruits of his sin to me.'

‘The sins of the father are visited upon the children. And in default of them there is a godson.'

‘Unto the third and fourth generation. But I expect they have generally lost it all by then.'

‘Can you bring yourself to tell me how much it is?'

‘No. You have only just brought yourself to ask.'

‘Is it very much?'

‘Yes.'

‘How can I help you?'

‘I must leave it to you. You have never failed me yet.'

‘Shall we wait and look at
The Times?'

‘No, that would imply a lack of confidence. There have never been secrets between us.'

‘Is it as much as a thousand a year?'

‘Yes.'

‘As much as fifteen hundred?'

‘Yes.'

‘As much as three thousand?'

‘No. How easy it is after all! It is about two. I am glad you have not failed me. Now our danger point is past, and we know that we can never fail each other.'