“Lavinia, you have been carried away. The sense of having money has upset you. You did not think of the effect on other people. This is not the way to use it. I beg you to think again.”
“I have thought, Father. This is what we both have wished. And now we can have it.”
“If Hugo — if your uncle was worthy of the name of a man, you could have had it before.”
“Well, of course I am not that, Ninian.”
“It is an unthinkable thing. It is unnatural and unfit. There can only be one opinion.”
“I never like things that are described as natural. And we should not be the slaves of opinion.”
“We can be the slaves of things that I will not state.”
“I am sure you are wise, Ninian. Then I will not either.”
“What is your feeling for Lavinia herself, apart from them.”
“You must know there are things that are never put into words.”
“As you have said, there is nothing in your favour. Your best years are behind. You are old compared with her. You might be her father.”
“No, Ninian, I could not take your place.”
“And you are almost a relation. She sees you as an uncle.”
“No, not now, Father,” said Lavinia. “I have not since I was a child.”
“And how long is that? And how long has this been threatening? Since the promise of your uncle’s money?”
“Long before with me,” said Hugo. “As soon as it could be with her. And now it can be realised.”
“You would not work for your wife, like other men?”
“Ninian, I am what I am. That is what you have against me. If I were not, you would have nothing. And if I were as other men, Lavinia might not have accepted me.”
“You talk as if recognising your failings altered them.”
“Well, you might feel you had never liked me so well.”
“So it is not a serious thing. I thought you could not mean it.”
“It is serious, Father,” said Lavinia. “You should not find it so strange. When you resolved to marry yourself, you meant it.”
“Marriage means a loss,” said Teresa. “In this case it is a double one. Are we to make it greater than it is?”
“It will be nice to be missed,” said Hugo. “Though it seems it ought not to be. And I never know how people know about it.”
“Will you live far away?” said Egbert.
“Near enough to be in touch with you. Lavinia made it a condition. I am in her power, as I have really always been.”
“We can see the change,” said Ninian. “Lavinia, think while there is time. You are in early youth. You have met few men. You must wait for the chances of your life. And your uncle should know it.”
“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.