The pool of St Branok

She nodded. "Do you know the story of him?"

"Marian told me."

She was silent for a moment. Then she turned to me and said: "It's a weakness in the family. They have no respect for money. I think you have been very sensibly brought up. That is why I feel I can talk to you."

I felt flattered. I knew that she had accepted me, but I did not know she had any great opinion of my wisdom.

She looked over her shoulder and lowered her voice. "You will have to look after Gervaise," she said. "I believe you can. That is why I am delighted by this marriage. William and Henry take after me. I have no qualms about them. Gervaise is a Mandeville through and through."

"Oh yes ..."

"Indeed yes. They are very charming. His father is just the same ... but they have no respect for money. One has to keep a watch on them. I have with Sir Horace. I am telling you this, and then we will say no more about it. When I married into the family Sir Horace's finances were in disorder. I brought a large fortune with me and ever since then I have managed the affairs of this household. That is the way I have brought the family back to prosperity. You may think I should not be talking thus, but I am doing it because you are a sensible girl. I am pleased that you are to marry Gervaise. He is a delightful young man in almost every way, but he is reckless where money is concerned. He is a member of a family which simply does not understand how to handle it. When he has it, it slips through his fingers. You must keep him away from the gaming tables. You'll manage it, my dear, as I have with his father. There! I have said my say. And I think it is right that you should know this. You will be very happy with my son. He is a very good and kindly young man. He would be perfect but for this one weakness, and I think it is only right that you should be aware of it."

She patted my cheek lightly and went on: "You are amazed that your future mother-in-law should talk to you thus. But I do so because I like you. I like your family; I trust you; and I know you are going to be to Gervaise what I have been to his father."

After that encounter with Lady Mandeville there seemed to be a special friendship between us. She talked to me about the house and I understood that it meant a great deal to her. I realized that she loved it with a deeper passion than the rest of the family did, although she had only come to it through marriage. She was like a convert to a new faith who seems more deeply devoted than those who had been born to it.

Somehow the knowledge that Gervaise had some weaknesses only endeared him to me. After all, paragons of virtue are often rather dull and difficult to live up to.

No one saw any reason why the marriage should be delayed.

Two months would give us ample time, said my mother. As soon as we returned to London we would begin our preparations. The Mandevilles would come to Cornwall for the wedding.

My parents came to my room and I could see from their expressions that there was going to be a serious discussion.

"It's the settlement," said my father.

"Oh, I don't want to hear about that."

"You must be sensible, darling," said my mother. "It's the usual arrangement, that's all."

"But why does this have to be done? It's like paying Gervaise to take me.

"It's just a guarantee that you are not going to your husband penniless."

"I am sure Gervaise never thought of money."

"I am sure he didn't. But your mother and I want you to know that you are taking this money with you ... and ..."

My father bit his lip and my mother went on: "It's in your name. It is something that's there, you know ... and it can't be touched without a lot of negotiations with lawyers."

"I don't understand what this is all about."

My father said: "On the advice of Sir Horace and Lady Mandeville I did it this way. They didn't want you to have money which could be easily accessible ..."

"They seem to think that Gervaise can be a little reckless with money and it was wise to ... tie it up a bit," put in my mother.

"I wish you hadn't done it," I said.

"It's all right, Angelet," insisted my mother. "It's always done."

I did not like this, particularly the suggestion that Gervaise could not be trusted, and the talk of settlements cast a little cloud over my happiness. I had been made to understand that Gervaise was a little extravagant; he was not always thinking about wealth; he was over-generous. I remembered how he had given the flower-woman that money when he had bought me a bunch of violets.

I liked it. He wanted to give pleasure to people and if he were a little extravagant in doing so, I liked him for that too.

I would forget all about this sordid business of settlements and money and think about my wedding day.

All the way up to London we were talking excitedly about the coming wedding.