Read Parents and Children Online
Authors: Ivy Compton-Burnett
âYou have had a good game,' said Regan, to the children.
âWe did while it went on,' said Gavin.
âI fear we do not receive encouragement to prolong it,' said Ridley.
âGrandma could hide behind the staircase,' suggested Gavin.
âHe will kill the lion,' said Nevill, coming tentatively down the stairs. âHe won't let it eat poor Grandma. He will kill it dead.'
âThere, it is dead,' said Ridley, dropping the skin on the floor. âYou see you have killed it.'
âIt is quite dead,' said Nevill, in a regretful tone, descending the rest of the stairs and cautiously touching the skin with his foot, before trampling freely upon it. âBut he will make it alive again.'
âIt was dead before,' said Gavin.
âBut once it was alive. It was in a forest and could roar.'
âIt was in a jungle,' said Honor.
âA jungle,' said Nevill, in reverent tone.
âIt is a lioness, not a lion,' said Gavin. âIt has no mane.'
âIt is really a tiger,' said Honor.
âWhich is more fierce?' said Nevill.
âA tiger,' said his sister.
âThen it is a tiger, a great big tiger. No, it is a lion. A lion is more fierce.'
âI fear I am in disgrace, Lady Sullivan,' said Ridley. âAnd it is not a day when I should choose such a situation. I am here to make an appeal to your favour.'
âHe is a lion,' said Nevill, thrusting his head under the rug and making a charge against Ridley as vigorous as possible, considering its weight.
âI wish I could say the same of myself,' said Ridley, gently repulsing the attack. âI am feeling the reverse of lion-hearted. I had come to ask a word with your husband, and my attention was distracted by these would-be inhabitants of the jungle. I fear I helped them to realize their ambition.'
âIt sounds as if you were easily distracted,' said Regan.
âSo much did my errand mean to me, that I found myself postponing the risks that it involved.'
âAnd how long do you want to keep on that line?'
âNo longer, if you will make it easy for me to do otherwise.'
Regan met his eyes in silence, not fulfilling this suggestion, and suddenly turned and led the way across the hall.
âPoor Mr Ridley has to go and see Grandpa,' said Nevill, with eyes of concern.
âHe wants to,' said Gavin.
âNo, he didn't like it.'
âHe said he did.'
âHints are in the air,' said Honor, swinging one leg round the other. âHatton and Mullet are big with them.'
âWhat?' said Gavin.
âHatton is big,' said Nevill. âBut not as big as Mullet. Hatton is rather big.'
âA cloud no larger than a man's hand,' said Honor.
âWhy do you talk without saying anything?' said Gavin. âIt makes talking no good.'
âAll in its own time,' said his sister.
âYou think you are grand,' said Gavin, and ended the conversation.
The schoolroom party came down the stairs. James took a seat on the lowest step and opened a book; Isabel leaned against the balusters; Venice came up to Nevill with a view to his entertainment.
âWhy have you all come down?' said Gavin.
âWe are to play in the hall, because we are not getting any exercise,' said James, just raising his eyes.
Isabel laid her head on her arms, in personal discharge of the obligation.
âThere is something heavy in the atmosphere in these days,' she said.
âYou have said it,' said Honor, nodding.
âPlay at lions like Mr Ridley,' said Nevill, struggling under the rug.
âSo that is what the noise was,' said Isabel.
âIt sounded as if someone was hurt,' said James, in an incidental tone.
âThe screams of the damned,' said Honor.
âDon't let her talk like that,' said Gavin, with a note of misery.
âThere are breakers ahead,' said Honor.
Gavin walked up to her and gave her a kick.
âGavin, that is very unkind,' said Venice. âAnd you should never kick a girl.'
âOught I to kick Nevill then?'
âNo,' said Nevill, flying into Venice's arms.
âYou must never be rough with girls, or boys younger than yourself.'
âThen I can be rough with James.'
Honor went up to Gavin and returned the kick. He took no notice beyond rubbing his leg, and they resumed their normal relation.
âThey didn't mean to hurt each other,' said Nevill, withdrawing a long gaze.
Sir Jesse and Regan and Ridley came from the library, continuing their talk. They gave no attention to the children, who did nothing to attract it.
âI shall always be grateful, Sir Jesse, for the hospitality of your house.'
âYou did not come here for your own purposes.'
âI have confessed that I began to do so, as time passed. How many months is it since the death of your son?'
âWe know,' said Regan. âAnd no one who does not, needs to be told.'
âI do not forget what is due to the memory of a man who was my friend.'
âHe depended on you to be his,' said Sir Jesse, in a grave manner.
âAnd to the end of my power did I fulfil that trust,' said Ridley, in a suddenly full tone. âIf feelings arose to the overthrow of a simple spirit of duty, I was helpless as a man and a friend. The emotions of manhood carried me away. I regret if my words are crude; I have no others.'
âWhy are they so?' said Sir Jesse. âThings are not that, because they are simple. They need no doctoring.'
âEleanor was the wife of your son. She is the mother of your grandchildren. I have come to you and your wife, as those who stand in the place of her parents. I feel I have not been wrong.'
âShe has had no family since we have known her,' said Regan. âThere is no demand on her, or on her family means.'
âWe have not come to the discussion of such things.'
âA fact does not need discussion. No doubt you know it.'
âYou came here in the service of our son,' said Sir Jesse. âWe continued to think of you as here in his interests. But I will leave our personal feelings; you are not concerned with them. I am prepared to wish you well. I desire no ill to befall you. I have been blind. I have not had my eyes on your life, but on my own.'
âI am glad the last half-hour is over,' said Ridley, speaking as if Sir Jesse's words had been lighter than they had. âI have felt like a schoolboy making an awkward confession.'
âA schoolboy does not often have to confess a thing like this,' said Regan.
Ridley went into laughter, as though to propitiate Regan by appreciation of her words.
âWhat do you think of having nine stepchildren?' she said.
âI hope I shall never forget they are your grandchildren.'
âIt would hardly matter if you did, as they will not.'
âI suspect they will not indeed,' said Ridley. âI should be the last person to recommend their doing so. Not that they would appear to me to be the greater loss. And that brings me to the point of asking permission to fetch the other person most concerned.'
Eleanor was with her three eldest children in their study, and came out, accompanied by them.
âWell, my dear, we are to lose you,' said Sir Jesse. âHow much are we to lose with you?'
âI knew that would be the point,' said Eleanor.
âWe have our lives,' said Regan. âYou have given your minds to yours.'
âThey feel we have had them,' said Sir Jesse. âBut we have to get through the days we have left. We have a right to ask what remains to us.'
âThere is a good deal that needs discussion,' said Eleanor.
âIt has had it,' said Sir Jesse. âLet us start where you left off. That is what we shall have to do.'
âWe thought of several plans and discarded them.'
âIs there one you have not discarded?'
âThe one that seems to us best,' said Eleanor, with an open, cold simplicity, âis that Ridley and I should have a house in the village, and leave the children with you, on the understanding that I have daily access to them. We could not afford what you do for them, and it is best for boys to be guided by a man bound to them by blood. I would make the contribution to their expenses that I have always made. This seems best for the interests of us all.'
Regan drew a hard breath and sank into tears.
âSir Jesse,' said Ridley, keeping his eyes averted from her, âI should like to say how earnestly I will do my part under the new order; with what sincerity I will further the welfare of those to whom I stand in a semi-fatherly relation. If honest effort is of any availâ' He stopped as he saw Regan's face.
âSuch a thing is never useless,' said Sir Jesse.
âI wonder what they will all have to say,' said Regan.
âWe are all here, Grandma,' said Luce, in a low, clear tone.
âOur elders must soon have become conscious of the nine pairs of eyes,' said Daniel.
âThey would have had that feeling that someone was looking at them,' said his brother.
âLady Sullivan,' said Ridley, âI do not desire to hear what that may be. I doubt if it will be for my ears.'
âWhat is your real word to us?' said Regan, suddenly to Eleanor.
Luce came forward and took her mother's hand.
âThat I have felt myself unfit to be alone with my burden. I have never had faith in myself as a mother. My children will not suffer from not having me in their home. I wish in a way that they would. And I shall be at their service. I see no good in postponing a change that is resolved upon, and I am not troubled about making it so soon. I am marrying in distrust of myself, in despair at my loneliness, and in gratitude for a feeling that met my need. I was not in a position to reject it.'
âWe wish you all that is good, my dear,' said Sir Jesse. âYou are doing your best for yourself and for others, and many people stop at the first.'
âAnd so may we say that the meeting is adjourned?' said Ridley, with a smile and a hand on Eleanor's shoulder. âOr rather dissolved, as the business is concluded.'
Regan gave Eleanor a look of such helpless consternation at her acceptance of this caress for another's, that Sir Jesse took a step between them.
âYou have other things to say to other people. You have done what you must by us.'
âIt will be the same thing,' said Eleanor, âbut it will have to be said.'
âNo, Mother dear,' said Luce, âwhy will it? We know what there is to know. We do not need it repeated. We can bear to see you recede a little from us, if it is to result in your going forward yourself.'
âYou have always made things easy for me, my dear.'
âAnd in this case you do so for me,' said Ridley.
âI don't think they are finding it very difficult themselves,' said Eleanor, looking at her children.
âIt is not for you to see our problems, Mother,' said Daniel. âThey would not be any help to you.'
âNo, do not ask for them, my dear,' said Sir Jesse.
âI should almost like to feel they were greater,' said Eleanor. âDaniel, have you a word of your own to say to your mother?'
âI welcome anything that is for your happiness. And the feeling is not only mine.'
âSo do I indeed,' said Graham, his eyes passing over Ridley.
âYou are kind and just to me, my children.'
âHe does too; he is too,' said Nevill, coming up to his mother.
âI did not notice you were all here,' said Eleanor, looking round the hall.
âIt is a wet day, Mother,' said Luce, âand you sent word that lessons were to be suspended.'
âMother passed over six of her nine children,' said Venice.
âYou are always in my mind, my child,' said Eleanor. âI did not know you had come to the hall. Perhaps that is typical of my dealings with you.'
âWe are in a way grateful to Ridley,' said Graham.
âGraham,' said Ridley, impulsively, âI see that as an unspeakably generous thing to say. I hope I shall never forget it.'
âWhat has my Isabel to say to me?' said Eleanor.
âSimply what the others have said. We have not had time to prepare our speeches. You are spared an awkward opening to your new life.'
âThe awkwardness would not have been chiefly Mother's,' said Venice.
Ridley looked at Eleanor in amusement, and with an air of being about to share the charge of the sprightly young of her family.
âWell, James, what have you to say to your mother?' said Eleanor.
James looked up from his book with a start.
âHave you not been listening, my boy?'
âNo,' said James, rather faintly. âNot to grown-up people's conversation.'
âThat is a good rule on the whole, but you could have made an exception today. We have let you stay away from school to hear what we have to tell you.'
âIf our family life were more eventful, James would face his future without education,' said Daniel.
âI think the strain on him would be as great,' said Graham. âHe, if anyone, must understand that life is one long training.'
âSo you do not know what we have been saying, my little son. Well, something is going to happen that will make me happier. Can you guess what it is?'
âFather is not dead!' said James, jumping to his feet and standing ready to spring with joy.
âNo, that is not it. You know that is not possible. But someone is going to take his place, is going to take care of me for him. Can you guess who it is ?'
âIt is not Mr Ridley?' said Tames, in a tone of getting through a step on the way to the real conclusion.
âYes, it is he; it is Mr Ridley,' said Eleanor, looking past her son.
âHe has been taking care of you for some time, hasn't he?'
âWell, now we are going to live together, so that he can do it better. You will be glad to feel I am not alone any more.'