Ivy Compton-Burnett - The Mighty and Their Fall

“Well, I did know I was not a chance,” said Hugo.

“You have taken one. It seems it must be recognised. How great do you mean it to be? How much of Ransom’s legacy do you see as yours?”

“None of it. It is Lavinia’s.”

“So the whole. But how does she see it? It was destined for the place, to ensure its future. She can only feel a part of it is hers.”

“I see it all as mine, Father. My uncle would have wished me to have it. He felt you should abide by your words. When people do something for themselves, they do say someone else would have wished it. But it may be the truth.”

“Truth does not need a veil,” said Ninian, gravely. “So we do not see it here.”

“It has needed one in your case and mine. We found it, when it did not have it.”

“What does Egbert feel?” said Ninian. “He will come after me here. It will be a poor inheritance, when they all take their share. My brother meant it to be otherwise.”

“Not at the end, Father. He left all he had to Lavinia. He was in no doubt.”

“Was he not? He would have kept a will in my favour, if I could have fulfilled a certain condition. I could not, as matters were. But it showed his mind.”

“I remember, Father,” said Lavinia.

“So we should not take this will as essentially his true one,” said Ninian, continuing at once. “It is a chance that it stood as it did.”

“The matter is settled,” said Egbert. “Lavinia takes what is hers. We should all do the same. We must not betray disappointment. We should not feel it.”

“That is said,” said Ninian, gently. “But why should we not betray it? We betray our other feelings. Of course I am disappointed. I might be a lesser man, if I were not. I hoped to improve my forefathers’ land, to benefit my family, to safeguard your future. They are a man’s natural wishes. I am not ashamed of them.”

“Well, I am of mine,” said Hugo. “I want to live on inherited means and consider only one person besides myself. I knew I was a lesser man. But perhaps I hardly knew how much.”

“Come in, Miss Starkie,” said Ninian, raising his voice. “Come in and bring your flock. We have an engaged couple to present to you. It is a thing you did not expect.”

“I did not, Mr. Middleton. What is on foot? Are they acting a play? Where are the two protagonists?”

“It may turn out in that way. It is serious at the moment. Let the leading characters come forward and speak for themselves.”

“Why, Lavinia, what a solemn face! You don’t look much of a bride. I know people weep at weddings. But it is usually the bride’s mother, I am told.”

“Lavinia’s mother would weep at this one,” said Ninian.

“Why, what is it? It is not a serious thing? Is there a real bridegroom? Not Lavinia’s uncle? No, it cannot be.”

“Hugo is not my uncle,” said Lavinia. “He is not Grandma’s son. He and I are not related.”

“I know you are not. But it is almost the same. It does not make much difference.”

“Well, I would hardly say that,” said Ninian, smiling. “But in a sense it is true. They are too much uncle and niece to be a success as anything else.”

“Do you give your consent, Mr. Middleton? I can hardly think it.”

“I have not been asked for it. And I realise you have not. They may have been afraid of our answer.”

“They may well have been of mine. I could not pretend to approve. And Lavinia is too young to take such a step. I cannot but feel you should oppose it.”

“You can hardly suppose I have not done so. But I am powerless.”

“In a legal sense. But not in any other.”

“In every sense. I admit I hardly knew it.”

There was a silence, broken by Leah.

“Is he marrying her because she is rich now? He didn’t want to before.”

“He must answer you himself,” said her father.

“I have always wanted to,” said Hugo. “But I was too poor to think of it.”

“That has a better sound,” said Ninian. “But is there any real difference?”

“Yes, there is a real one. But not the one you mean.”

“Was it hard to be silent, Uncle?” said Agnes, taking a step forward, with brighter eyes.

“Well, it was at times.”

“So there has been a romance, and we did not know.”

“If there had been, you would have known,” said Ninian.

“Hardly at her age,” said Miss Starkie. “That is no proof of anything. We may wish it was.”

“But none of us at any age knew. Did you know, Egbert?”

“I feel now that I did in a way, Father.”

“Oh, we all feel it now. That is saying nothing.”

“Lavinia, think of the future,” said Miss Starkie. “You might be left a widow when you were still young.”

“I should otherwise always be single. I would not marry any other man.”

“Do you not congratulate me, Miss Starkie?” said Hugo.

“I have long done so in your character of uncle. This new one is too much for me. I cannot deny it. The disparity in age speaks for itself.”

“It could have saved itself the trouble,” said Lavinia.

“And if it is not an intrusive question, what of the material problems? You have always lived in your brother’s house.”

“In this house. Ninian is not my brother. And not at his expense. I am not quite without means. And Lavinia will have what her uncle leaves.”

“But that surely passes to her father. Whether or no there is a will. Forgive me, if I am wrong.”

“It would be harder to forgive you, if you were right,” said Ninian. “No, the money is not to be mine. My brother left it to Lavinia. We will not talk about whose it will be.”

“It can be put in a word, Father. It will belong to Hugo and me.”

“But you will not act in haste,” said Miss Starkie. “Remember the life behind you. You have always felt more for your father.”

“Not always. Not for some time. As you imply, it is in the past.”

“We are thrust aside, Miss Starkie. We are in a similar place. We must be content to have served our purpose.”

“I should be indeed. But I feel I can hardly have served it. I did not look for this. It is no good to deny it.”

“It does seem too late,” said Hugo.

“I am hardly myself, Mr. Hugo. I hope you don’t misunderstand me.”

“No, you have taken no risk of it.”

“You feel with me, Teresa?” said Ninian.

“For my own sake rather than theirs. This may settle two lives that needed it. But it is hard to be sure.”

“Well, we wish them well. There is no need to say it. We must put aside our own feelings. They are after all a part of ourselves. We will go forward with them, hoping for them everything, grudging them nothing. I say the last for myself. Lavinia will believe me and see me as her father.”

“Yes, I will, Father,” said Lavinia, moving to his arms, as he held them out to her.

“Father can’t marry Lavinia,” said Leah, standing with her eyes on them.

“Of course he cannot,” said Miss Starkie. “What a foolish speech!”

“I said that he couldn’t, not that he could. And I never know why they can’t.”

“They would, if the law allowed it,” said Hengist. “Or why does there have to be a law?”

“And he is married to her ,” said Leah.

“I am not going to say anything,” said Miss Starkie. “You need not expect it.”

“She doesn’t want us to say Mamma . She thinks we don’t feel in that way to her. And she doesn’t mind.”

“I am frustrating your efforts, Miss Starkie,” said Teresa.

“We saw the need for them then. I think it cannot be denied.”

“I fear you have striven unsupported.”

“Do they call you anything, Mrs. Middleton?” said Miss Starkie, suggesting the result of this.