What Will He Do with It?

In Short

This novel follows Guy Darrell, a brilliant, wealthy lawyer who has retreated from society into a crumbling, ancestral manor to live a life of cold, intellectual detachment. His quiet existence is shattered by the arrival of his young cousin, Lionel Haughton, whose youthful openness challenges Darrell’s cynicism. As Darrell grapples with the potential of mentorship and the surfacing of a long-buried scandal, the story examines the weight of family legacy and the possibility of redemption. Its enduring power lies in its complex portrayal of a man reconciling a ruined heart with his duty to the future.

The Story

Guy Darrell, once a titan of the London bar, has abandoned his legal career and public life to dwell in Fawley Manor, a decaying relic of his family’s ancient lineage. He lives in a state of self-imposed exile, accompanied only by his nervous, flute-playing secretary, Dick Fairthorn. Darrell is a man of "granite" intellect and cold temperament, masking a deep, unhealed trauma. His solitary routine is disrupted when his young cousin, Lionel Haughton, arrives for a visit. Lionel is everything Darrell has long suppressed: idealistic, impulsive, and eager for connection.

Initially, Darrell maintains his icy, mocking detachment, viewing Lionel as an unwelcome intrusion. However, the boy’s genuine affection and his impassioned plea for help on behalf of a lost, impoverished child named Sophy begin to pierce Darrell’s armor. Through these interactions, Darrell experiences an internal struggle between his hardened, cynical exterior and the dormant, tender instincts he thought he had extinguished. He finds himself drawn to the boy, even as he internally rejects the idea of forging a new legacy, believing his ancestral line is destined to end with him.

The narrative arc deepens as shadows from Darrell’s past reappear. A mysterious, disheveled man arrives at Fawley, bearing news and threats that link back to the scandal that drove Darrell into hiding years earlier. This encounter forces Darrell to confront the reality of his own history and the fragile, artificial nature of the peace he has constructed. His pride and his desire for control are constantly at war with his growing paternal affection for Lionel.

As the story progresses, Darrell is pushed toward a reckoning. He must decide if he will continue to hide within the walls of his "castle" or if he will engage with the world again to protect those he has come to care for. The climax does not merely involve a change in fortune, but a profound shift in Darrell’s character. He acknowledges that his self-sufficiency is a form of death. In the end, Darrell chooses to emerge from his stagnation, not by reclaiming the power he once held, but by accepting his role in the lives of others, effectively choosing human connection over the "stilled life" of his manor. The resolution finds him moving toward a future he previously thought impossible, finally answering the question of what he will do with the wealth and influence he has spent a lifetime accumulating.

How It Unfolds

The arrival at Fawley Lionel Haughton travels through a primitive, lonely landscape to reach the manor of his powerful, elusive cousin. He finds a house defined by ancient carvings and a master who treats his own domestic life as a minor, manageable curiosity.

A clash of temperaments Lionel and Darrell begin a tense, unequal dialogue, where the boy’s impulsive warmth consistently tests the older man’s carefully curated indifference. Lionel’s open-hearted nature acts as a catalyst, forcing Darrell to articulate his own philosophy of detachment.

The shadow of the past The narrative shifts as the secrets of Darrell’s lost family fortune and his past legal career are revealed through Fairthorn’s nervous reminiscences. This background information explains why Darrell has withdrawn into a life of cold, solitary intellectualism.

The intrusion of reality The arrival of a desperate, disheveled stranger at the manor gates forces Darrell to abandon his calm facade. This confrontation brings the haunting, unresolved business of his youth directly into his sanctuary, threatening his peace.

The final decision Darrell and Lionel reach an emotional turning point where the younger man’s innocence forces the elder to reconsider his nihilistic view of the future. Darrell ultimately accepts the necessity of responsibility and human engagement, signaling a departure from his self-imposed exile.

The People

Guy Darrell is the central figure, a man of "haughty power" and immense intellectual capability who has essentially chosen to bury himself alive to avoid further pain. He is defined by his struggle to remain emotionless, though he possesses a "sympathetic tact" that betrays his fundamentally tender heart.

Lionel Haughton serves as the moral foil to Darrell. He is a young man of action and feeling who refuses to be intimidated by Darrell’s coldness. His desire to "wrestle with the world" stands in stark contrast to Darrell’s retreat, and his presence acts as a bridge that pulls Darrell back into the light.

Dick Fairthorn is the loyal, timid, and slightly pathetic secretary who provides both the comic relief and the historical context for the Darrell family. His flute-playing and his nervous devotion to his master highlight the eccentric, sheltered environment Darrell has cultivated.

The Stranger represents the inescapable nature of the past. He is a disruptive, wretched figure who embodies the consequences of the secrets Darrell has worked so hard to keep. His appearance serves to strip away the illusion of sanctuary that the manor provides.

In Its Own Voice

"There, Ambition might give rest to the wheel of Ixion, Avarice to the sieve of the Danaids; there, disappointed Love might muse on the brevity of all human passions, and count over the tortured hearts that have found peace in holy meditation, or are now stilled under grassy knolls."

This passage captures the melancholic, romantic atmosphere of the setting that lures the characters into reflection.

"I did not know you had deer here." "Deer!--in this little paddock!--of course not; only that doe. Fairthorn introduced her here."

This brief exchange illustrates Darrell’s habit of downplaying his own kindness and the strange, artificial nature of his small, controlled world.

"Yes, my father, it is so!" he said softly. "All my sacrifices were in vain. The race is not to be rebuilt! No grandchild of yours will succeed me,--me, the last of the old line!"

This moment reveals the depth of Darrell’s existential despair and his belief that his life’s work has been a failure.

What It's Really About

The central question is the true nature of power and the emptiness of success achieved in isolation. Darrell has spent a lifetime accumulating wealth and influence, only to find that these things do not stave off the "Care" that follows every man. The book argues that true power is not found in the law courts or in the control of estates, but in the ability to bring happiness to others. It is a meditation on the vanity of legacy and the danger of allowing past hurts to dictate one’s entire future. By the end, the narrative asks whether a person can ever truly be "dead" to the world as long as they possess the capacity to love and the obligation to care for those younger than themselves.

Why Read It Today

This book will appeal to readers who enjoy slow-burning character studies and the immersive, descriptive prose of the Victorian era. It is a rewarding read for those who appreciate a narrative that prioritizes the internal evolution of a protagonist over fast-paced action. The relationship between the aging, world-weary mentor and the hopeful, naive youth is timeless and deeply moving.

However, the reader should be prepared for the pacing of a 19th-century novel; the author is generous with his setting and philosophical asides, which can feel leisurely to a modern sensibility. The prose is ornate and occasionally heavy with classical allusions, reflecting the intellectual baggage of the period. Furthermore, the attitudes toward rank and "gentle blood" are distinctly products of their time, requiring a reader who can navigate these period hierarchies without needing them to be contemporary.

What lingers after finishing is the haunting portrait of Guy Darrell—a man who tried to insulate his heart against the world, only to find that the very act of insulation was his greatest tragedy. It is a beautiful, if occasionally difficult, exploration of the human struggle to find purpose when the old structures of identity have crumbled. You will likely walk away thinking about how we all, in our own ways, build "Fawley Manors" to hide from the things that scare us most.