“To make the child his wife.”  He was not really more of an egoist than the average man, but he did assume that if he wanted her he could win her.  His mistress was very young:  it was her rose of youth and her unquelled spirit that charmed him even more than her beauty:  and she had not sixpence to her name, while he was a rich man.  He did not, as Bernard would have done, go on to plume himself on his magnanimity, or infer that Isabel’s gratitude would give him a claim on her fealty over and beyond the Pauline duty of wives.  In the immediate personal relation Lawrence was visited by a saving humility.  But on the main issue he took, or thought he took, a practical view.  A man in love cannot soberly analyse his own psychological state, and Lawrence did not know that he had fallen in love with Isabel at first sight or that the germ of matrimonial intentions had lain all along in his mind.  Here and now he believed that he first thought of marrying her.

Then he would have to stay on at Wanhope.  And court Isabel under the eyes of all Chilmark?  Under Bernard’s eyes at all events; they were already watching him.  Lawrence was irritated:  whatever happened, he was not going to be watched by his cousin and chaffed and argued over and betted on.  In most points indifferently frank, Lawrence was silent as the grave where sex came into play.

“Thank you.”  He touched with his lips the hand that Laura had innocently laid on his wrist.  “It can’t really be fourteen years, Laura, since you were staying at Farringay.”

“Flatterer!” said Laura, smiling but startled, and rising from her chair.  “This to an old married woman!”

“Ah! when I remember that I knew you before this fellow did—!”

“Here, I say,” came Bernard’s voice across the table, riotously amused, “none o’ that! none o’ that!”

“Penalty for having a charming wife,” laughed Lawrence, in his preoccupation blind and deaf to danger signals.  He rose to open the door for Laura.  “By the by, if you go to the vicarage this afternoon, I’ll stroll up with you, if I may.  I suppose I owe the young lady that much civility!”

“I can’t:  I’m busy,” said Laura hastily.  “That is, I don’t know what time I shall get away.  Go by yourself, don’t wait for me.”

“Rubbish,” said Bernard.  “Much pleasanter for both of you to have the walk together.  Lawrence doesn’t want to go alone, do you?” ("Rather not,” said Lawrence heartily.) “And I don’t want you here, my love, if that’s the trouble, I can’t have you tied to the leg of my sofa.”

Later, when Lawrence had gone out on the lawn to smoke, Bernard recalled Laura.  She came to him.  He took hold of her wrist and lay smiling up at her.  “Nice relationship, isn’t it, cousins-in-law?  So free and easy.  You—.  I watched you pawing him about.  So affectionate.  He felt it too.  Did you see the start he gave?  He twigged fast enough.  Think you can play that game under my nose, do you?  So you can.  I don’t care what you do.  Take yourself off now and take him with you.”