Ivy Compton-Burnett - Men and Wives

“It must be, Godfrey,” said Rachel. “No one could do more than have a wife who admired him enough to think that other people would too, and actually put the feeling on record. So few people will reveal appreciation. I am quite up in arms about Percy and his first wife. She might have done better by him, even though she had not the illustration of him that we have. Harriet always comes out wonderfully.”

“But I don’t understand Mother’s reasons for doing it,” said Gregory.

“Gregory, Gregory, no hint of criticism!” said his father, raising his hand.

“Do you understand?” said Rachel in an undertone to Dufferin. “Harriet told you more than she told me.”

“It was because she knew that Godfrey would marry anyone, and could be himself with almost no one,” said Dufferin. “The tragedy of their lives was that he was himself with her. She never ceased to save her family from themselves, and to do it in her own way.”

“Yes, yes, well, a woman, you know. It is well enough for a woman to do it,” said Sir Percy, as the result of reflection.

“Yes, yes, it is, Hardisty,” said Godfrey. “If a man did it, I daresay I should think him the meanest skunk on earth. But a woman may do as she likes. And anyhow my Harriet may. My Harriet might do as she would with me. Ah, she knew she might. And I am glad she knew it, even though she has made me a little conspicuous in some eyes. They are not the eyes that matter, and it is a small price to pay for her having her mind at peace. I pay it willingly. But I can’t have Spong mouthing at me, and making out that I am an injured husband, and what not. I am not prepared to put up with that.”

“I heard some rumour that Spong was engaged to be married,” said Jermyn. “But I thought nothing of it. It didn’t seem likely. But perhaps it is true, and that is why he felt for you in your bondage.”

“Oh, well, bondage. Well, some people might call it that. Some men might feel it in that way; I am not among them. But it can’t be true about Spong. Spong is as safe as old Time. He wouldn’t be a man a woman would fall for. It surprises me that a woman did once. To do him justice he is faithful to that woman’s memory. That is the best thing about Spong. That always enhances our opinion of a man. But there wasn’t any need to make conditions about him. His wife could spare herself the trouble, and no doubt did. And that is why he thought he had a look-in on me, when really the look-in was on the other side.”

“The announcement of Mr. Spong’s engagement is in the local weekly paper, Sir Godfrey,” said Buttermere shaking out the teacloth. “It is out this afternoon, and there is a copy procured as is customary for the servants’ hall.”

“Oh, is that so indeed? Is it to anyone particular?” said Godfrey.

“Who is it, Buttermere?” said Jermyn.

“I will procure the paper, sir,” said Buttermere.

“Let us guess,” said Gregory. “I guess Mrs. Christy. I know Spong has been hanging about her house lately.”

“Yes, it might be. But it is disloyal of you not to guess Geraldine,” said Rachel.

“I guess Geraldine,” said Polly.

“That is right, my dear,” said Rachel.

“Not Mellicent?” said Godfrey.

“No, of course not, Haslam,” said Sir Percy.

“Well, well, it must be someone,” said Godfrey. “No one is likely, you know.”

“Mrs. Calkin?” said Griselda.

“Well, I don’t know why not,” said Jermyn.

“I declare I expect it is Mrs. Calkin,” said Godfrey. “No one is too old for Spong. I guess Agatha Calkin. Now we shall see if I am right.”

Buttermere proffered the paper and left the room.

“Well now, let us see,” said Godfrey, turning at random to a page and looking down it. “Oh, all right, Rachel, take it from me then. Well, you tell us all in a minute who it is.”

“Yes, I will. Births, marriages, deaths!” said Rachel. “Oh, pull yourselves together! I could so easily have guessed it, and now I shall never have the credit. It is Camilla!”

“Oh, it can’t be. I know for a fact that it can’t be,” said Godfrey. “I can tell you for certain that there is a mistake.”

“We could all have done that,” said Jermyn. “But it has not prevented it. It is a good thing Matthew is not here.”

“Yes, yes, it is, the poor boy!” said Godfrey, after a pause. “Well, that is what old Spong had up his sleeve! Well, to me it is a disgusting thing for a girl to marry a middle-aged man. I shan’t be able to get it out of my head. Spong is nearly my age. I should not have believed it. This does away with the redeeming point of Spong. I am quite pulled up by the thought of my poor Matthew’s feelings.”

“I should think he will feel less about her than he has yet,” said Griselda.

“Yes, yes, he will, Griselda,” said her father in a tone of realisation. “You say the truth. If anything could cure a man of infatuation, it would be a thing of this kind. I can say that for certain. Well, it may be for the best. She is tied up now, and no one can come to grief over her. Enough people have come to it, and there might have been more. For if any woman could make a man feel she was the one woman in the world for him, I declare it was that girl. I can put myself in Matthew’s shoes as if I were standing in them.”

“She always gave you a high place,” said Gregory.

“Well, I believe she did,” said Godfrey. “I believe she thought I wasn’t so little of a man, not quite to be put on one side with a woman like herself. But what beats me, is how she can have fallen for Spong. For if there is a man more different in every way, who is more of an absolute contrast, who is less of what a woman might be supposed to want, you have to show him to me. I can’t get at the bottom of it at all.”

“He is very well off,” said Dufferin. “His wife left him a fair fortune, and he has saved more than would enter the minds of ordinary spending men. A man is a man to Camilla, and he is a safe and sound fellow of his kind. Camilla always liked possessions better than people. It is for herself that she has to choose.”

“Yes, yes, that is how it is,” said Godfrey. “It shows how people are right when they impose conditions. Harriet had right on her side. I even felt it when she hinted to me that she would like to make the restriction, poor girl! I was glad to be saved from myself. I was glad she wanted to be tied to me. Why are you staring at me, Rachel? You are all eyes. It was a tribute, after all the years we had lived together as man and wife.”

“It was a most fitting tribute,” said Rachel. “But you have had quite enough credit for it, Godfrey.”

“What amuses me,” said Godfrey, “well, I don’t mean it amuses me; what I take satisfaction in, is that Harriet has had everything turn out as she wished. Matthew is off to London to pursue his profession, and Jermyn to Cambridge for the same sort of thing, and Griselda is quit of her parson, and Gregory of the old dames, and I myself am laid up high and dry! I mean she got in her say about me as well. It is some compensation for being out of things, for passing on before, to see your wisdom bearing fruit. For it all followed on in a manner. Not that she needs compensation where she is now. It is we who need that.”

“Harriet was always a fortunate woman,” said Rachel.