‘Grandma,’ said Luce, in a desperate whisper, as if the words were wrung from her, ‘does Father know about Mother and Ridley?’
Regan nodded almost with indifference, as though this were a secondary thing.
‘I can face the natural results of my disappearance,’ said Fulbert, turning on his daughter his old unflinching gaze. ‘I should wish no one to go through life alone. But I hope my wife will find it a relief not to replace me after all.’ He turned and put his arm round Isabel, as though here was someone who would never have done so.
‘Father,’ said Luce, in a faltering manner, ‘Mother had her hard time after you had gone.’
‘That was the trouble, no doubt,’ said Fulbert. ‘I wish I could have spared you all. But our life may be better, that we know what it is to lose it.’
‘It is a method of enhancement I can only deplore,’ said Daniel.
‘You are yourself again, my son. You have had some hard months. Your own work must have suffered. I shall be thankful to take up my duty again and leave you to yours.’
‘I hope that disgrace for failure will be balanced by credit for feeling,’ said Graham.
‘There is greater credit in the greater feeling, that made you go on as if I were here,’ said Fulbert. ‘I am touched by the signs of the unbroken life in my home. It has held as though my eyes were on it. I find no change in any of you. There is no gulf to be bridged. James does not open doors and he is remaining away from school. And I would have had it so. I have no sense of missing steps in my family history.’
James gave a little jump, uncertain whether he had met success or not.
‘Grandma,’ said Luce, in a low tone, ‘the little boys have come in. Is it better for them to be prepared?’
‘Gavin does not need preparation,’ said Fulbert. ‘He has done his best to perform the office for you all. And no doubt he has done so for Nevill. Let it happen in its own way. I ask nothing that is not spontaneous and natural.’
Nevill ran into the room and towards his grandmother, caught sight of his father, paused and rested his eyes on him, and then ran on and laid something on Regan’s lap.
‘A bird’s nest,’ he said. ‘Where the little birds used to live.’
‘What will they do without their home?’
‘All fly away,’ said Nevill.
‘The little birds had a father and mother bird,’ said Regan, guiding his head towards Fulbert. ‘And the father bird has come back to the nest.’
Nevill cast his eyes about in quest of this visitor, and dropped them to the nest, in case Regan’s words might be true.
‘Where?’ he said, bringing them back to her face.
‘Look and see,’ said Regan, turning his head again in the right direction.
‘Outside,’ said Nevill, as some sparrows chirped by the window. ‘He has come back. Hark.’
‘Nevill is showing to the same advantage as James,’ said Daniel.
‘Do you see who is standing by Isabel?’ said Regan.
‘Father,’ said Nevill, in a light tone, as if he would not emphasize what might be in doubt.
‘He would like to see his little boy.’
Nevill detached himself from Regan, as if this would aid his father’s view.
Nevill detached himself from Regan, as if this would aid his arms and laughed and whimpered alternately, touching his cheek and withdrawing his hand, as though uncertain whether he caressed the authentic person.
‘I have congratulated myself that my family has not changed,’ said Fulbert. ‘I must remember to wonder if the same thing can be said of myself.’
‘Dear Father!’ said Luce, for the guidance of Nevill.
‘Dear Father,’ he agreed, using a more confident hand, and allowing himself to look definitely into Fulbert’s face. ‘Dear Father has come back after a long time. He won’t go away again today.’
‘He will never go away again,’ said Luce.
‘Yes,’ said Nevill, struggling down from Fulbert’s arms and nodding his head. ‘He will. But Mr Ridley will always stay.’
‘I can’t live down my bad name all at once,’ said Fulbert. ‘And now where is my son, who helped me to get to my home?’
Gavin approached and raised his face, as for a daily greeting.
‘You knew I should come back one day, didn’t you?’
‘No. We thought you were dead.’
‘You did not seem so very surprised to see me.’
‘Did you know that I saw you?’ said Gavin, lifting his eyes to his father’s.
‘I realized you had, after you had passed. You did not come back and speak to me.’
‘You didn’t speak to us. And it would be for people back from the dead to speak first. They might not still understand.’
‘You were an observant boy to recognize Grandpa’s old coat.’
‘I didn’t know it was his. It was Grandma who knew. I thought it was yours.’
‘Father may get tired of this changelessness in his sons,’ said Daniel.
‘Poor Father is very tired,’ said Nevill, casting a look at Fulbert. ‘He won’t be able to come back another day.’
‘Grandma dear,’ said Luce, ‘Grandpa is crossing the hall. But I suppose he knows what he can bear.’
Sir Jesse entered and came up to his son, and taking both his hands, stood thus for some time, and then passed on to his chair and sank into it.
‘Now I can say my “Nunc dimittis”,’ he said to himself, or rather to the assembled company.
There was a pause.
‘What did Grandpa say?’ said Gavin.
‘They are Latin words,’ said Honor.
‘Grandpa can say them,’ said Nevill, with pride in his relative.
‘Would you like to be able to?’ said Luce.
‘Yes, but he will some day.’
‘Ask Father if he will teach you,’ said Luce, hoping to make a bond where one was needed.
‘No, Miss Pilbeam will teach him.’
‘Has Grandpa seen Father before?’ said Gavin.
‘Yes, but not for long,’ said Luce.
‘Grandpa is glad that Father has come back,’ said Nevill.
‘Grandma,’ said Luce, in a shaken tone, ‘it is on us, the desperate moment. Mother and Ridley are in the hall. What are we to do?’
‘We can do nothing,’ said Regan, seeming almost to repress a smile.
‘One of you go and prepare your mother,’ said Fulbert to his sons, in his old manner.
‘We should have thought of that, if we were not petrified,’ said Daniel.
‘I will go, Father,’ said Luce, and went swiftly from the room.
‘The occasion of Ridley’s discomfiture is spoiled by its tragedy,’ said Daniel.
‘It is hard on us,’ said Graham. ‘But nothing can spoil it for Grandma. And she has had few pleasures of late.’
‘Hope and Paul are there as well,’ said Regan, again with an unsteadiness about her lips.
‘Another circumstance of our life unchanged,’ said Fulbert.
‘It is a good thing that family is not any larger,’ said Isabel.
Regan laughed with noticeable heartiness, almost as though to cover some other cause for mirth.
‘Faith is not there,’ said Venice.
‘She will remedy the matter,’ said her sister.
‘Will Mother be able to marry Mr Ridley now?’ said James.
‘Of course not,’ said Isabel. ‘Father was glad to see no change in you, but he will alter his mind, if you don’t take care.’
Hope entered and began at once to talk, as if to give time to those who followed.
‘Fulbert, I wish I could say I knew this would happen. But I did not know. I am afraid you will see signs of it.’
‘I have found so few in my own home that I can hardly believe what is before my eyes.’
‘I suppose I meant in our home. There are not so few there.’