‘Lady Sullivan has lost two children, Mother.’
‘The house never strikes me as empty somehow. There are plenty of little, pattering feet. I mean there are eighteen.’
‘I suspect it has its own emptiness for her, Mother.’
‘Well, you would understand. Our house must have its own for you.’
‘You have your own place, Mrs Cranmer,’ said Ridley, with a note of reproach.
‘Yes, it is mine now.’
‘Sir Jesse’s is the perfect place,’ said Susan.
‘I think I would vote for Eleanor Sullivan’s,’ said Ridley, looking about with a grave eagerness. ‘All the advantages of a married woman, and none of the care and contrivance.’
‘I thought those were dear to a woman’s heart,’ said Hope.
‘I am sure I do not want any place but my own,’ said Faith, contracting her brows at the thought of other people’s.
‘I want any place that is better than mine,’ said Hope.
‘Do people’s places mean their endowments?’ said Paul.
‘No, our characteristics in their places,’ said his wife. ‘Everyone is content with his own endowments. The Marlowes’ are things one could hardly speak about. I have never heard anyone but them do so.’
‘I have heard many people.’
‘You need not pounce on the one touch of meanness in my speech.’
‘I am afraid I am not content with my endowments,’ said Faith, with a wry little smile.
‘Don’t you think there is something about you that no one else has?’ said Hope. ‘Because I am sure there is.’
Faith raised her eyes and looked into her stepmother’s.
‘I know you think I cannot meet your eyes,’ said the latter. ‘And that being so, why do you put me to the test?’
‘I think we had better be going, Mother.’
‘We were all to go together. But as Priscilla cannot spare your father and me, the rest of you must go by yourselves.’
‘That is only Ridley and me, Mother.’
‘Is that all, dear? Then there are not any more.’
‘I think that is a hint of whose breadth we need not be in doubt,’ said Ridley, rising and going into mirth. ‘We have no choice but to withdraw with as good a grace as possible.’
Faith stood for a moment, irresolute, and then went from one Marlowe to another in quiet and pleasant farewell, and led the way from the house.
‘Of course stepmothers are cruel,’ said Hope, ‘but then so are stepchildren, though they don’t have any of the discredit. We all have a right to survive, and only the fittest can do so, and it seems that a struggle is inevitable.’
‘I wonder why we are all entitled to life,’ said Susan. ‘But I am glad Sir Jesse accepted it in our case.’
‘We have a right to work for our bread,’ said Lester, almost wonderingly.
‘We have so many rights,’ said Priscilla, ‘but they don’t seem such very good ones.’
‘Will you come home with us, now that we can’t overtake the others?’ said Hope.
There was a silence.
‘Well, it is Susan’s first day at home,’ said Priscilla.
‘She would have to walk back,’ said Lester.
‘You know you would have the carriage,’ said Hope. ‘You should not stoop to falsehood to avoid an invitation.’
‘What alternative is there?’ said Paul.
‘Are you so fond of your life in this cottage?’ said Hope.
‘Yes, we are,’ said Priscilla. ‘Our odd, isolated experience has drawn us so close.’
‘The cottage is our home,’ said Lester. ‘Sir Jesse gave it to us.’
‘I have always felt a little sorry about that,’ said Hope. ‘But there is never any need to worry about people. They are always so satisfied.’
‘A poor thing but our own,’ said Susan.
‘I quite agree, dear. But why put it in the form of a saying? They don’t contain the truth.’
‘They call attention to it,’ said Priscilla. ‘Of course it is there without them.’
‘I am glad it is there,’ said Lester, with great content. ‘Of course people do not see the cottage with our eyes.’
‘Books and a fire,’ said Priscilla, looking at these things. ‘What more could we have?’
‘I see you haven’t any more,’ said Hope, with some exasperation. ‘But does that prevent your having dinner with a friend? You could have that as well.’
‘We know about the other things,’ said Susan. ‘Cushions and flowers and things that shimmer in the firelight.’
‘We like the firelight better by itself,’ said Priscilla.
‘I can see you do,’ said Hope. ‘And I like the things that go with it. I don’t even want a mind above material things; I enjoy having one on their level.’
‘I have never seen better firelight,’ said Paul.
‘It is the beech from the park,’ said Lester.
‘Does Sir Jesse send it to you?’ said Hope.
‘No, we have his tacit permission to gather it.’
‘Are you proud of the mark of intimacy? Or humbled by being in need of fuel? I must remember that beech makes a fire like this. I want one to play on my possessions. I don’t care if it is a nasty use for it. I don’t want it for anything else.’
‘It is a mistake to make the lily gild other things,’ said Susan.
‘If you liked me a little better, I should not be so petty,’ said Hope. ‘What is the good of striving to be worthy of your friendship, when I have no chance of it? You know how I long for your affection; people always know the things that add to themselves; I expect you exaggerate my desire for it. Of course I don’t show it in public, when you are so neglected and eccentric. You could not expect it of a petty person, or what is your reason for thinking her petty? But you might save me from spending all my evenings with the family. I love to do it for Paul’s sake, but I like to have things for my own sake as well, and I believe you know that I do.’
‘Well, Susan only came home today,’ said Lester.
‘And I came thirty years ago. I do see she doesn’t need a change so much. And of course I like her to be considered first. So I will leave you to look at the firelight playing on nothing. Though if you won’t exert any influence over me, I don’t see how I can improve.’
‘We like you as you are,’ said Lester.
‘That is a crumb of comfort for me to take with me. I do hate going empty away. Would you like me to send you a load of beech?’
‘Yes, if you will,’ said Lester.
‘How people do jump up and pin one down! Now we are committed to it. Well, it will come with love from us both, and I hope it will be all right by itself.’
‘We know it will,’ said Paul.
‘Hope does not respect us as much as if we had the usual position,’ said Susan, when they were alone. ‘Her referring to it openly does not alter it.’
‘Is it one reason why we do not respect ourselves?’ said Lester, in simple question.
‘The only one, I think,’ said Priscilla.
‘Ridley and Faith seem to respect us,’ said Lester.
‘Faith respects her fellow-creatures,’ said Susan. ‘And Ridley is a lawyer, and knows how common it is to be penniless; and he respects us for having a little money from Sir Jesse, and being able to earn a little more.’
‘How I respect us!’ said Priscilla.
‘Do we respect other people?’ said Lester.
‘I do very much indeed,’ said Priscilla. ‘They seem to have so much of everything. Think of Faith, and her charitable nature and her comfortable home and her life of ease. I think a human being is remarkably well equipped. Kind hearts are more than coronets, but so many people seem to have them both.’
‘A good home is not a coronet,’ said Susan.
‘Well, I should have said it really was.’
‘It is odd that we cannot ask Sir Jesse about our parentage,’ said Lester.