‘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?’