Elders and Betters Read Online Free PDF Page A

drooping carriage, an irritable and often irritated manner, and a certain uncouthness in person and dress, that in her appeared in manner and speech. He gave a limp hand to the women of his family, less by way of greeting than of indicating that he did not intend an embrace, and turned his eyes on the house with an interest limited to its concern for himself.
    Reuben, the youngest by a number of years, evinced the ungainly quality in his physique. He was a boy of thirteen, with coltish, uncontrolled movements, a lively, nervous face, defensive, dark eyes that were sadder than his feelings warranted, and a definite lameness resulting from an early accident. He had a straight but unobservant gaze and a confident, carrying voice, and thought less of his handicap than of what other people thought of it.
    Jenney’s eyes showed that he was her chief concern; Anna gave him a rough caress; and Ethel took his bag before doing anything else. Neither his father nor his brother had thought of helping him, or rather the latter had not thought of it, and the former had been in the grip of his usual inner conflict. It was his habit to address his young son with ironic courtesy as an equal, but he failed to embarrass him by doing so, as Reuben saw him as an insoluble enigma, and simply withheld his thoughts.
    The family had a faintly Jewish look, and biblical names had a way of recurring amongst them, but they neither claimed nor admitted any strain of Jewish blood. The truth was that there had been none in the last generations, and that they had no earlier record of their history.
    They went into the drawing-room and faced each otherwith a sense of actually doing this. Their reunion in new surroundings showed them each other afresh. Anna was concious of her choice of the house, and wore an absent, indifferent air and hummed faintly to herself, while Claribel had almost the manner of a hostess.
    The latter greeted Benjamin with bare cordiality and ignored his deliberate survey of herself. He had put her to his purpose of duenna for his family, and she felt that she owed him nothing, and would not suffer at his hands. Her attitude and Reuben’s were of the kind reputed to ensure respect, but failed to do so with Benjamin, who had little command of this feeling. He had not even much for himself, which tends to mean a meagre residue for other people.
    â€œWell, we begin our new life,” he said, in the harsh, uneven tones that seemed to carry an undercurrent of emotion. “We shall feel that the house is our own, when we have planted memories in it.” His eyes rested on his sons, as if he awaited their fulfilment of this duty.
    â€œWe shall always remember Bernard’s half-shy look of welcome,” said Reuben, pulling at Jenney’s sleeve and raising his voice. “He may be ashamed of the feeling that brought him, but it makes us like him better.”
    Esmond pushed through his family and stood in the middle of the room and looked up and down.
    â€œCannot your feelings find expression?” said Claribel.
    â€œIt seems that that is the case,” said Bernard.
    â€œIt is usual to reply to a question,” said Benjamin.
    â€œA reply was not wanted,” said his second son.
    â€œWell, that is true,” said Anna. “People who withhold their wisdom before the event, need not produce it afterwards.”
    â€œIt is a smaller house than the other,” said Reuben.
    â€œThere is plenty for the servants to do in it,” said Anna, “though it would not be wise to give them a hint of it.”
    â€œThey are the last people who should require it,” said Bernard.
    â€œYou seem to be agreed upon your course,” said Esmond.
    â€œBernard has been spoiling them, as usual,” said Anna. “It only makes them harder to manage.”
    â€œSince when has he taken your place?” said Benjamin.
    â€œHe has not done so, Father, or he would know better.”
    â€œThey