Mr. Fortune by Sylvia Townsend Warner

weed begins to lose its gloss from the moment it is taken out of the ocean; the fish and the fruit (unless, of course, eaten) go bad; the flower is broken from the stem, its petals will discolour and fold up in death; but whoever begets children gives life itself, gives that from which all gifts are drawn.
    The procreation of children is the first end for which marriage is ordained. But that was not all. There was also the love of man and woman and the pleasure they had in one another’s company. When he was a young man, Mr. Fortune said, he had often wished for a wife to be merry with. Now he was too old to think much of such things, but none the less marriage did not seem to him less desirable, for now he understood as he did not and could not in his youth how sweet it would be to have the faithful company of one with whom he had shared his best days, if it were only, as a celebrated English Divine once expressed it in a sermon, that he might have some one to whom he could say: “How our shadows lengthen as our sun goes down!”
    Mr. Fortune stopped. Lueli’s silent consenting and his own thoughts had led him too far. He had not meant to introduce such serious considerations into a discourse on marriage, and the mournful sound of his own voice alone in the shadow of night suddenly revealed to him that he was sorrowful, although he had not thought he was.
    â€œTell me, Lueli, have you thought at all about whom you would prefer?”
    â€œVaili is a nice girl and her father would give her a good dowry——”
    Lueli pressed up the tip of his nose with the tip of his finger and spoke in a soft considering voice.
    â€œOr there is Fuma, or Lepe who loves singing. But I think Vaili would suit you best, so you had better marry her.”
    â€œI marry! No, no, Lueli, you are mistaken, I was not talking of myself but of you. It is your marriage I was thinking about.”
    â€œOh! Were you?”
    â€œWouldn’t you like a wife, Lueli? As you were saying, Vaili is a nice girl. She is gentle and fond of children, we could soon teach her to become a Christian if we gave our minds to it. I’m sure you could be very happy with Vaili.”
    A decided shake of the head.
    â€œFuma, then.”
    Another shake.
    â€œWell, what about Lepe or Tialua?”
    Mr. Fortune proceeded to recite the names of all the girls on the island, feeling not very respectable as he did so, but going steadfastly on because he was in for it now, he could not go back on his own sermon. But he might as well have recited the Kings of Israel and Judah or the Queens consort of England from Matilda of Flanders down to Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen for all the effect it had on Lueli, who sat beside him listening decorously as though to a lesson and silently waving away each one of Mr. Fortune’s nominees.
    â€œBut, Lueli, if you don’t approve of any of these, whom do you want?”
    A terrible possibility had flashed upon him. Suppose, like the traditional young man, Lueli had placed his affections on some mature married woman? What steps should he take, indeed what steps could he take? He would not even have public opinion on his side.
    â€œI don’t want any one. I am quite happy as I am.”
    â€œBut, Lueli, you are young and vigorous. This is not natural and I don’t think it is at all advisable. Why, St. Paul himself——” And Mr. Fortune gave a short summary of St. Paul’s views on the marrying or burning question, toning them down a little, for privately he considered the saint’s conclusions a trifle acrid. But there was no shaking Lueli, who continued to asseverate that he found chastity an easier matter than St. Paul supposed, and in any case preferable to the nuisance of taking a wife.
    It seemed rather odd and improbable to Mr. Fortune, but he let the matter drop and did not speak of it again. Lueli would change his tune all in good time no doubt. Meanwhile things