thered from the gaps
where beauties once had figured, so the essence of him, and the road to
understanding him, lay in his reserves, his silences, his defensiveness.
What he refrained from doing, being, or saying, was the most significant
thing about him. His manners were irreproachable, his courtesy cast in a
finer mold than that of an ordinary gentleman, yet he did not achieve
real cordiality and remained at a very long arm's length from intimacy.
His highest degree of approval seemed to consist in an absence of
disapprobation; yet, feeling that this negative reward of merit was hard
to win, the recipient took the unsubstantial guerdon with some
gratification. My own hope was to escape from his presence without
having caused him to think that I had done anything offensive; if he had
nothing against me, I should be content. I wondered whether he were
satisfied to have the like measure meted out to him. His son had said he
was "not expansive": that was like denying silkiness to a porcupine. Yet
there was that about him which commanded respect--at least a respect
appropriately negative; you felt certain that he would do nothing sordid
and touch nothing unclean; he would always be true to the code of his
class and generation.

We heard laughter from Jenny and Lacey echoing down the long passages as
they returned from the garden; from the noise their feet made they
seemed to be racing again. The sounds interrupted a rather perfunctory
conversation about Nicholas Driver and the growth of Catsford. Rather to
my surprise--I must confess--his face lit up with a smile--a smile of
pensive sweetness.

"That sounds cheerful," he said. "More like old days!" Then he looked at
me apprehensively, as though afraid that he had proffered an uninvited
confidence. He went on almost apologetically. "It's very quiet here. My
health doesn't fit me for public life, or even for much work in the
county. We do our duty, I hope, but we tend rather to fall out of the
swim. It wasn't so in my wife's time. Well, Amyas will bring all that
back again some day, I hope."

"I'm glad to hear that he's got his commission," said I.

"Yes, he must go and do some work, while I hold the fort for him at
home. Landed property needs a great deal of attention nowadays, Mr.
Austin." Again he smiled, but now wearily, as though his stewardship
were a heavy burden.

The laughing pair burst into the room. Amyas was flushed, Jenny seemed
out of breath; they had a g