V + 

I + 

The years from five to nine remained somewhat dim in VernonтАЩs memory. Things changedтБатАФbut so gradually as not to matter. Nurse did not return to her reign over the nursery. Her mother had had a stroke and was quite helpless and she was obliged to remain and look after her. + 

Instead, a Miss Robbins was installed as nursery governess. A creature so extraordinarily colourless that Vernon could never afterwards even recall what she looked like. He must have become somewhat out of hand under her regime for he was sent to school just after his eighth birthday. On his first holidays he found his cousin Josephine installed. + 

On her few visits to Abbots Puissants, Nina had never brought her small daughter with her. Indeed her visits had become rarer and rarer. Vernon, knowing things without thinking about them as children do, was perfectly well aware of two facts. One, that his father did not like Uncle Sydney but was always exceedingly polite to him. Two, that his mother did not like Aunt Nina and did not mind showing it. Sometimes, when Nina was sitting talking to Walter in the garden, Myra would join them and in the momentary pause that nearly always followed, she would say: + 

тАЬI suppose IтАЩd better go away again. I see IтАЩm in the way. No, thank you, Walter [this in answer to a protest, gently murmured], I can see plainly enough when IтАЩm not wanted.тАЭ + 

She would move away, biting her lip, nervously clasping and unclasping her hands, tears in her brown eyes. And, very quietly, Walter Deyre would raise his eyebrows. + 

One day, Nina broke out: тАЬSheтАЩs impossible! I canтАЩt speak to you for ten minutes without an absurd scene. Walter, why did you do it? Why did you do it?тАЭ + 

Vernon remembered how his father had looked round, gazing up at the house, then letting his eyes sweep far afield to where the ruins of the old Abbey just showed. + 

тАЬI cared for the place,тАЭ he said slowly. тАЬIn the blood, I suppose. I didnтАЩt want to let it go.тАЭ + 

There had been a brief silence and then Nina had laughedтБатАФa queer short laugh. + 

тАЬWeтАЩre not a very satisfactory family,тАЭ she said. тАЬWeтАЩve made a pretty good mess of things, you and I.тАЭ + 

There was another pause and then his father had said: тАЬIs it as bad as that?тАЭ + 

Nina had drawn in her breath with a sharp hiss. She nodded. + 

тАЬPretty well. I donтАЩt think, Walter, that I can go on much longer. Fred hates the sight of me. Oh! we behave very prettily in publicтБатАФno one would guessтБатАФbut, my God, when weтАЩre alone!тАЭ + 

тАЬYes, but my dear girlтБатАКтБатАжтАЭ + 

And then, for a while, Vernon heard no more. Their voices were lowered, his father seemed to be arguing with his aunt. Finally his voice rose again. + 

тАЬYou canтАЩt take a mad step like that. ItтАЩs not even as though you cared for Anstey. You donтАЩt.тАЭ + 

тАЬI suppose notтБатАФbut heтАЩs crazy about me.тАЭ + 

His father said something that sounded like Social Ostriches. Nina laughed again. + 

тАЬThat? WeтАЩd neither of us care.тАЭ + 

тАЬAnstey would in the end.тАЭ + 

тАЬFred would divorce meтБатАФonly too glad of the chance. Then we could marry.тАЭ + 

тАЬEven thenтБатАФтАЭ + 

тАЬWalter on the social conventions! It has its humorous side!тАЭ + 

тАЬWomen and men are very different,тАЭ said VernonтАЩs father dryly. + 

тАЬOh! I knowтБатАФI know. But anythingтАЩs better than this everlasting misery. Of course at the bottom of it all is that I still care for FredтБатАФI always did. And he never cared for me.тАЭ + 

тАЬThereтАЩs the kid,тАЭ said Walter Deyre. тАЬYou canтАЩt go off and leave her?тАЭ + 

тАЬCanтАЩt I? IтАЩm not much of a mother, you know. As a matter of fact IтАЩd take her with me. Fred wouldnтАЩt care. He hates her as much as he hates me.тАЭ + 

There was another pause, a long one this time. Then Nina said slowly: + 

тАЬWhat a ghastly tangle human beings can get themselves into. And in your case and mine, Walter, itтАЩs all our own fault. WeтАЩre a nice family! We bring bad luck to ourselves and to anyone we have anything to do with.тАЭ + 

Walter Deyre got up. He filled a pipe abstractedly, then moved slowly away. For the first time Nina noticed Vernon. + 

тАЬHallo, child,тАЭ she said. тАЬI didnтАЩt see you were there. How much did you understand of all that, I wonder?тАЭ + 

тАЬI donтАЩt know,тАЭ said Vernon vaguely, shifting from foot to foot. + 

Nina opened a chain bag, took out a tortoiseshell case and extracted a cigarette which she proceeded to light. Vernon watched her, fascinated. He had never seen a woman smoke. + 

тАЬWhatтАЩs the matter?тАЭ said Nina. + 

тАЬMummy says,тАЭ said Vernon, тАЬthat no nice woman would ever smoke. She said so to Miss Robbins.тАЭ + 

тАЬOh! well,тАЭ said Nina. She puffed out a cloud of smoke. тАЬI expect she was quite right. IтАЩm not a nice woman, you see, Vernon.тАЭ + 

Vernon looked at her, vaguely distressed. + 

тАЬI think youтАЩre very pretty,тАЭ he said rather shyly. + 

тАЬThatтАЩs not the same thing,тАЭ NinaтАЩs smile widened. тАЬCome here, Vernon.тАЭ + 

He came obediently. Nina put her hands on his shoulders and looked him over quizzically. He submitted patiently. He never minded being touched by Aunt Nina. Her hands were lightтБатАФnot clutching like his motherтАЩs. + 

тАЬYes,тАЭ said Nina. тАЬYouтАЩre a DeyreтБатАФvery much so. Rough luck on Myra, but there it is.тАЭ + 

тАЬWhat does that mean?тАЭ said Vernon. + 

тАЬIt means that youтАЩre like your fatherтАЩs family and not like your motherтАЩsтБатАФworse luck for you.тАЭ + 

тАЬWhy worse luck for me?тАЭ + 

тАЬBecause the Deyres, Vernon, are neither happy nor successful. And they canтАЩt make good.тАЭ + 

What funny things Aunt Nina said! She said them half laughingly, so perhaps she didnтАЩt mean them. And yet, somehow, there was something in them that, though he didnтАЩt understand, made him afraid. + 

тАЬWould it be better,тАЭ he said suddenly, тАЬto be like Uncle Sydney?тАЭ + 

тАЬMuch better. Much much better.тАЭ + 

Vernon considered. + 

тАЬBut then,тАЭ he said slowly, тАЬif I was like Uncle SydneyтБатАФтАЭ + 

He stopped, trying to get his thoughts into words. + 

тАЬYes, well?тАЭ + 

тАЬIf I was Uncle Sydney, I should have to live at Larch HurstтБатАФand not here.тАЭ + 

Larch Hurst was a stoutly built red brick villa near Birmingham where Vernon had once been taken to stay with Uncle Sydney and Aunt Carrie. It had three acres of superb pleasure grounds, a rose garden, a pergola, a goldfish tank, and two excellently fitted bathrooms. + 

тАЬAnd wouldnтАЩt you like that?тАЭ asked Nina, still watching him. + 

тАЬNo!тАЭ said Vernon. A great sigh broke from him, heaving his small chest. тАЬI want to live hereтБатАФalways, always, always!тАЭ + 

II + 

Soon after this, something queer happened about Aunt Nina. His mother began to speak of her and his father managed to hush her down with a sideways glance at himself. He only carried away a couple of phrases: тАЬItтАЩs that poor child IтАЩm so sorry for. YouтАЩve only got to look at Nina to see sheтАЩs a Bad Lot and always will be.тАЭ + 

The poor child, Vernon knew, was his cousin Josephine whom he had never seen, but to whom he sent presents at Christmas and duly received them in return. He wondered why Josephine was тАЬpoorтАЭ and why his mother was sorry for her, and also why Aunt Nina was a Bad LotтБатАФwhatever that meant. He asked Miss Robbins, who got very pink and told him he mustnтАЩt talk about тАЬthings like that.тАЭ Things like what? Vernon wondered. + 

However, he didnтАЩt think much more about it, till four months later, when the matter was mentioned once more. This time no one noticed VernonтАЩs presenceтБатАФfeelings were running too high for that. His mother and father were in the middle of a vehement discussion. His mother, as usual, was vociferous, excited. His father was very quiet. + 

тАЬDisgraceful!тАЭ Myra was saying. тАЬWithin three months of running away with one man to go off with another. It shows her up in her true light. I always knew what she was like. Men, men, men, nothing but men!тАЭ + 

тАЬYouтАЩre welcome to any opinion you choose, Myra. ThatтАЩs not the point. I knew perfectly how it would strike you.тАЭ + 

тАЬAnd anyone else too, I should think! I canтАЩt understand you, Walter. You call yourself an old family and all thatтБатАФтАЭ + 

тАЬWe are an old family,тАЭ he put in quietly. + 

тАЬI should have thought youтАЩd have minded a bit about the honour of your name. SheтАЩs disgraced itтБатАФand if you were a real man youтАЩd cast her off utterly as she deserves.тАЭ + 

тАЬTraditional scene from the melodrama, in fact.тАЭ + 

тАЬYou always sneer and laugh! Morals mean nothing to youтБатАФabsolutely nothing.тАЭ + 

тАЬAt the minute, as IтАЩve been trying to make you understand, itтАЩs not a question of morals. ItтАЩs a question of my sister being destitute. I must go out to Monte Carlo and see what can be done. I should have thought anyone in their senses would see that.тАЭ + 

тАЬThank you. YouтАЩre not very polite, are you? And whose fault is it sheтАЩs destitute, I should like to know? She had a good husbandтБатАФтАЭ + 

тАЬNoтБатАФnot that.тАЭ + 

тАЬAt any rate, he married her.тАЭ + 

It was his father who flushed this time. He said, in a very low voice: + 

тАЬI canтАЩt understand you, Myra. YouтАЩre a good womanтБатАФa kind, honourable, upright womanтБатАФand yet you can demean yourself to make a nasty mean taunt like that.тАЭ + 

тАЬThatтАЩs right! Abuse me! IтАЩm used to it! You donтАЩt mind what you say to me.тАЭ + 

тАЬThatтАЩs not true. I try to be as courteous as I can.тАЭ + 

тАЬYes. And thatтАЩs partly why I hate youтБатАФyou never do say right out. Always polite and sneeringтБатАФyour tongue in your cheek. All this keeping up appearancesтБатАФwhy should one, I should like to know? Why should I care if everyone in the house knows what I feel?тАЭ + 

тАЬIтАЩve no doubt they doтБатАФthanks to the carrying power of your voice.тАЭ + 

тАЬThere you areтБатАФsneering again. At any rate IтАЩve enjoyed telling you what I think of your precious sister. Running away with one man, going off with a secondтБатАФand why canтАЩt the second man keep her, I should like to know? Or is he tired of her already?тАЭ + 

тАЬIтАЩve already told you, but you didnтАЩt listen. HeтАЩs threatened with galloping consumptionтБатАФhas had to throw up his job. HeтАЩs no private means.тАЭ + 

тАЬAh! Nina brought her pigs to a bad market that time.тАЭ + 

тАЬThereтАЩs one thing about NinaтБатАФsheтАЩs never been actuated by motives of gain. SheтАЩs a fool, a damned fool or she wouldnтАЩt have got herself into this mess. But itтАЩs always her affections that run away with her common sense. ItтАЩs the deuce of a tangle. She wonтАЩt touch a penny from Fred. Anstey wants to make her an allowanceтБатАФshe wonтАЩt hear of it. And mind you, I agree with her. There are things one canтАЩt do. But IтАЩve certainly got to go and see to things. IтАЩm sorry if it annoys you, but there it is.тАЭ + 

тАЬYou never do anything I want! You hate me! You do this on purpose to make me miserable. But thereтАЩs one thing. You donтАЩt bring this precious sister of yours under this roof while IтАЩm here. IтАЩm not accustomed to meeting that kind of woman. You understand?тАЭ + 

тАЬYou make your meaning almost offensively clear.тАЭ + 

тАЬIf you bring her here, I go back to Birmingham.тАЭ + 

There was a faint flicker in Walter DeyreтАЩs eyes, and suddenly Vernon realized something that his mother did not. He had understood very little of the actual words of the conversation though he had grasped the essentials. Aunt Nina was ill or unhappy somewhere and Mummy was angry about it. She had said that if Aunt Nina came to Abbots Puissants, she would go back to Uncle Sydney at Birmingham. She had meant that as a threatтБатАФbut Vernon knew that his father would be very pleased if she did go back to Birmingham. He knew it quite certainly and uncomprehendingly. It was like some of Miss RobbinsтАЩ punishments, like not speaking for half an hour. She thought you minded that as much as not having jam for tea, and fortunately she had never discovered that you didnтАЩt really mind it at allтБатАФin fact rather enjoyed it. + 

Walter Deyre walked up and down the room. Vernon watched him, puzzled. That his father was fighting out a battle in his own mind, he knew. But he couldnтАЩt understand what it was all about. + 

тАЬWell?тАЭ said Myra. + 

She was rather beautiful just at that momentтБатАФa great big woman, magnificently proportioned, her head thrown back and the sunlight streaming in on her golden red hair. A fit mate for some Viking seafarer. + 

тАЬI made you the mistress of this house, Myra,тАЭ said Walter Deyre. тАЬIf you object to my sister coming to it, naturally she will not come.тАЭ + 

He moved towards the door. There he paused and looked back at her. тАЬIf Llewellyn diesтБатАФwhich seems almost certain, Nina must try to get some kind of a job. Then there will be the child to think of. Do your objections apply to her?тАЭ + 

тАЬDo you think I want a girl in my home who will turn out like her mother?тАЭ + 

His father said quietly: тАЬYes or No would have been quite sufficient answer.тАЭ + 

He went out. Myra stood staring after him. Tears stood in her eyes and began to fall. Vernon did not like tears. He edged towards the doorтБатАФbut not in time. + 

тАЬDarling, come to me.тАЭ + 

He had to come. He was enfoldedтБатАФhugged. Fragments of phrases reiterated in his ears. + 

тАЬYouтАЩll make up to meтБатАФyou, my own boy. You shanтАЩt be like themтБатАФhorrid, sneering. You wonтАЩt fail meтБатАФyouтАЩll never fail meтБатАФwill you? Swear itтБатАФmy boy, my own boy!тАЭ + 

He knew it all so well. He said what was wanted of himтБатАФYes and No in the right places. How he hated the whole business! It always happened so close to your ears. + 

That evening after tea, Myra was in quite another mood. She was writing a letter at her writing table and looked up gaily as Vernon entered. + 

тАЬIтАЩm writing to Daddy. Perhaps, very soon, your Aunt Nina and your cousin Josephine will come to stay. WonтАЩt that be lovely?тАЭ + 

But they didnтАЩt come. Myra said to herself that really Walter was incomprehensible. Just because sheтАЩd said a few things she really didnтАЩt mean.тБатАКтБатАж + 

Vernon was not very surprised, somehow. He hadnтАЩt thought they would come. + 

Aunt Nina had said she wasnтАЩt a nice womanтБатАФbut she was very pretty. + 