They had
surrendered the natural in favor of an artificial purity. In a land
where sea shells were the standard of value, rubies and soft gold were
worthless. Lee was opposed to his entire world; he had nothing but his
questioning, his infinitesimal entity, for his assistance. Literally
there wasn't a man to whom he could turn whose answer and advice
weren't as predictable as useless. There was nothing for him but to
accept his position and, discharging it where he was able, fail where
he must.
There was, however, no need for that failure to be absolute; and the
underlying responsibility he had fully considered, subject to its own
attained code, would have to do service as best it could. Here he
paused to realize that the improved manners he had determined on were
no more than the expression of his growing, his grown, indifference. It
should be easy to be restrained in a situation that had small meaning
or importance. What struck him again was the fact that his connection
with Fanny was of far greater moment than that with Helena and Gregory.
His responsibility to them was a minor affair compared to the weight
increasingly laid upon their elders. Somehow, they didn't seem to need
him as sharply as Fanny did. Materially they were all three more than
sufficiently provided for, and spiritually, as he had so often
reflected, he had little or no part in his children's well-being.
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