Ivy Compton-Burnett - The Mighty and Their Fall

“It had better have one,” said Ninian. “ She will be my wife, and Lavinia the eldest of my girls. There is an end of it.”

“Mr. Middleton, may I make a suggestion? Would Mater be a good form of address? It is the Latin word for Mother , and would be a compromise between the actual word and familiarity. Of course it is only my own idea. But we can never suggest better ideas than our own.”

“Well, no one else can offer one at all,” said Ninian, seeing Teresa’s indifference. “We must accept it and be grateful.”

“Well, it is my habit to put my ideas at the general disposal. There is little to be said for keeping them to oneself. There is the chance of their being of help.”

“Everyone knows that Mater is the Latin word for Mother ,” said Leah.

“Well, I am glad you do. It would not be to my credit, if you did not. It was natural to mention it in this connection.”

“They are not usually with us,” said Ninian, in reassurance to Teresa. “Their presence is in honour of yours. I don’t know if you recognise the tribute.”

“Lavinia is with you in the evenings, Father,” said Agnes.

“Well, she knows what I shall want of her now. And I trust her, as I always have.”

“May I give you some more wine?” said Egbert to Teresa, to cover the moment.

“Now add the two words, Egbert,” said Miss Starkie. “Set the example. We depend on you.”

“What are we making a matter of?” said Ninian. “A word is no more than it is.”

“We have come upon an enigmatic example, Mr. Middleton.”

“Is Father’s marrying supposed to be a good thing for us?” said Hengist.

“It will be,” said Miss Starkie. “It will not be a matter of supposing.”

“I don’t see how it can be much good,” said Leah.

“They are children,” said Ninian to Teresa. “I don’t know if you are familiar with the race.”

“She must have been a child herself,” said Hengist.

“Now what should it be?” said Miss Starkie.

“Say it again, as you should,” said Ninian.

“She must have — Mrs. Chilton must have been a child herself.”

“They feel the name takes them out of their world,” said Teresa.

“Do you know, I think they do, Mrs. Chilton? It is a step for them to address an adult on equal terms. It is not so long since children said sir and ma ’ am . And I think it was a good custom.”

“Then used children to be the same as servants?” said Leah.

“They were all supposed to show respect to those above them.”

“I don’t much care after all to be called Mater ,” said Teresa. “I don’t see any difference between the word and Mother . They have the same meaning. I am not their mother, and cannot be. That seems to answer the question.”

“Of course I meant the suggestion to depend on your wishes, Mrs. Chilton. If it does not meet them, it is as if it had not been made.”

“Well, make another, Miss Starkie,” said Lavinia. “We are still in doubt.”

“I hardly think there is another. It is either equality or the maternal suggestion. Those are the alternatives.”

“Some families would say Mrs. Middleton ,” said Agnes. “I mean after they were married.”

“This family will not,” said her father.

“I quite agree with you, Mr. Middleton,” said Miss Starkie. “It has not a suitable touch. I should not care for it.”

“I don’t mind if they use my Christian name,” said Teresa.

“We should feel honoured to do so,” said Egbert.

“I shall not say anything,” said Hengist. “And neither will Leah.”

“Well, Lavinia and Egbert can say Teresa , and the rest of you nothing,” said Ninian. “That will serve for the time.”

“May I say Teresa , Father?” said Agnes.

“Well, if you have permission,”

“Yes, she may,” said Teresa, hardly uttering the words.

“Well, we are back at the starting-point,” said Miss Starkie, lightly. “It is like a race run in a circle.”

“Well, it is run,” said Ninian. “And I suppose it had to be.”

“And there is a victory, Mr. Middleton. I do not dispute it. But it seems rather an empty one.”

“Because we are to say nothing?” said Leah. “That seems to make it empty. But the others are to say something.”

“It is all rather much for you, Leah?” said Miss Starkie, smiling. “Well, we will leave it for the time.”

“Is she older than he is?” said Hengist. “I mean, is she older than Father?”

“So you see a name has its uses,” said Miss Starkie. “We find it when we do without one.”

“But she knew you meant her , when you said she ,” said Leah to her brother.

“Do you know if she is older?” said Hengist to Miss Starkie.

“No, it is nothing to do with me.”

“But that is when people want to know things the most.”

“Oh, I hope not, Hengist. What a view to take! I am glad it is not mine.”

“I am a little older than your father,” said Teresa, turning her eyes from a portrait to Lavinia’s face.

“Yes, there is the real likeness,” said Selina. “It is a portrait of her mother.”

“I thought it was of herself at first. But of course it is not young enough.”

“It is a greater likeness than has ever been known,” said Agnes. “It must be nice to be like someone like that.”

“Poor like !” said Miss Starkie. “You are giving it a great deal to do.”

“That may be why Father was fond of Lavinia,” said Hengist. “Anyone so like someone else could almost do instead of her.”

“Not in this case,” said Ninian. “And not in any real one. No one can take the place of anyone else.”

“Lavinia did take this one,” said Leah. “But she has to go back from it now.”

“Why, what an odd phrase!” said Miss Starkie.

“It meant what she meant it to mean,” said Hengist.

“Dear, dear, how you overwork your words! I feel quite sorry for them.”

“I have never seen Lavinia cry before,” said Leah, in a sudden awed tone.

“You need not see it now,” said Hengist, roughly.

“No, do not notice it,” said Miss Starkie, speaking very low. “You know how you feel when you cry.”

“I sometimes do it to make people notice me.”

“That is because you are young,” said Hengist.

“I will cry with Lavinia,” said Hugo. “And then people will have to notice us. And I hope they will be upset.”

“Egbert, have you taken a vow of silence?” said Ninian.

“It would be better if I had, Father. It would be an excuse.”

“It is not such a difficult occasion.”

“I think it is,” said Teresa, without a smile. “It has to be; and not only for them.”

“You are finding it so? You need not be alarmed. They are no worse than they seem.”

“I am not alarmed,” said Teresa, as if she might be other things.

“Would you like to have some children?” said Leah, looking at her. “I mean some of your own?”

“She could hardly want any more of mine,” said Ninian.

“We can’t help being here,” said Hengist.

“Now who suggested that you could speak?” said Miss Starkie. “You should think before you speak.”

“I don’t feel I am here,” said Hugo. “And I hope nobody knows I am.”

“I should not be,” said Egbert, “if it were not for Lavinia. I get my reality from her, and always shall.”

“There, Lavinia!” said Miss Starkie. “There is a foundation for your future.”

“And what is that?” said Ninian.

“Her brother’s dependence on her, Mr. Middleton. It is a rare and real thing,” said Miss Starkie, looking aside as she relinquished restraint.