Free The Mighty and Their Fall by Ivy Compton-Burnett Page A

of an unusual design.”
    â€œWhy do you not open the door and come in?” said Selina, her voice hardly veiling suggestion of social shortcoming.
    Miss Starkie remained where she was, and looked behind her, as though her concern was here.
    â€œCome in and speak to your grandmother,” she said, admitting a faint sigh into her tone.
    â€œDo you want us, Grandma?” said Agnes.
    â€œShould I call you, if I did not? I asked what you were doing in the hall.”
    â€œYou know, now she has told you,” said Hengist.
    Miss Starkie smiled at Ninian, but at no one else.
    â€œYour patience should abash them, Miss Starkie. It would serve them right, if it failed.”
    â€œAh, but how much would fail with it, Mr. Middleton! How much effort would be wasted! I shall win in the end. Never fear.”
    â€œI admit to some doubt,” said Hugo.
    â€œAh, I do not, Mr. Hugo. Wild horses would not drag the admission from me.”
    â€œWild horses never have much success,” said Lavinia. “Their history is a record of failure. And we do suggest a good deal for them.”

CHAPTER V
    â€œCan you hear me, Mother?” said Ninian.
    â€œYes, of course. I am not dead.”
    â€œWe hope you are not going to die.”
    â€œThat might go without saying.”
    â€œYou know it does,” said Hugo.
    â€œIt did not,” said Selina, wearily.
    â€œDo you want to say anything, Mother?”
    â€œNo, I don’t want a deathbed scene. When it is acted, it means nothing. And why should I consider my last moments? The others have done more for me.”
    â€œAnd it is so terrible of them to be the last,” murmured Hugo.
    â€œAll of them count to us,” said Ninian. “We need not tell you how much.”
    â€œWe need not call up memories. I cannot carry them with me.”
    â€œYou will leave them with us,” said Hugo.
    â€œWell, I have been as good to you as you have to me. And better to the son who has left me.”
    â€œWe have nothing to regret,” said Ninian.
    â€œHe will find enough when I cannot know about it. And it will do nothing for either of us.”
    â€œThe word need not exist between you and me.”
    â€œIf I die, you will find some reason for it. But it will pass.”
    â€œYou don’t sound as if you are going to die,” said Hugo.
    â€œNo,” said Selina, almost smiling. “And I can see the nurse agrees. She feels I am not fit for a higher life; and I would choose the lower one. And she thinks I should be afraid to die.”
    â€œAnd you are afraid of nothing,” said her son.
    â€œI don’t feel I am going to meet my Maker. And if I were, I should not fear him. He has not earned the feeling. I almost think he ought to fear me.”
    â€œI think he must,” murmured Hugo. “She seems so much her usual self.”
    â€œIt may be coming back,” said Selina. “The doctor is not sure.”
    â€œHe has not said anything to you?”
    â€œHow can he, when there is nothing to say? And when he sees I know it.”
    â€œWould you like to see the children?” said Ninian. “I mean it might make a change for you.”
    â€œI know what you might have meant. You should take more care. I know all I want to about them. It might hardly be a suitable moment to know the whole.”
    â€œThey need not know—we need not tell them you are ill.”
    â€œThey would not mind. It could only mean I might die.”
    â€œYou know how they would feel about that.”
    â€œI believe I do. And I can’t explain it,” said Selina, almost petulantly.
    â€œThey feel your bark is worse than your bite.”
    â€œThat is an empty saying. Only bark has a place in life. There is no opportunity to bite. I have wished there was.”
    â€œThey know you would not have used it.”
    â€œI am going to sleep,” said Selina, and closed her eyes.
    â€œWe have not been