man of property-第12章

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　to　possess　it！　　His　cheeks　flushed。　　The　warmth；　the　radiance；　the　glow；　were　sinking　into　his　senses　as；　four　years　before；　Irene's　beauty　had　sunk　into　his　senses　and　made　him　long　for　her。　　He　stole　a　glance　at　Bosinney；　whose　eyes；　the　eyes　of　the　coachman's　'half…tame　leopard；'　seemed　running　wild　over　the　landscape。　　The　sunlight　had　caught　the　promontories　of　the　fellow〃s　face；　the　bumpy　cheekbones；　the　point　of　his　chin；　the　vertical　ridges　above　his　brow；　and　Soames　watched　this　rugged；　enthusiastic；　careless　face　with　an　unpleasant　feeling。

A　long；　soft　ripple　of　wind　flowed　over　the　corn；　and　brought　a　puff　of　warm　air　into　their　faces。

〃I　could　build　you　a　teaser　here；〃　said　Bosinney；　breaking　the　silence　at　last。

〃I　dare　say；〃　replied　Soames；　drily。　　〃You　haven't　got　to　pay　for　it。〃

〃For　about　eight　thousand　I　could　build　you　a　palace。〃

Soames　had　become　very　palea　struggle　was　going　on　within　him。　He　dropped　his　eyes；　and　said　stubbornly：

〃I　can't　afford　it。〃

And　slowly；　with　his　mousing　walk；　he　led　the　way　back　to　the　first　site。

They　spent　some　time　there　going　into　particulars　of　the　projected　house；　and　then　Soames　returned　to　the　agent's　cottage。

He　came　out　in　about　half　an　hour；　and；　joining　Bosinney；　started　for　the　station。

〃Well；〃　he　said；　hardly　opening　his　lips；　〃I've　taken　that　site　of　yours；　after　all。〃

And　again　he　was　silent；　confusedly　debating　how　it　was　that　this　fellow；　whom　by　habit　he　despised；　should　have　overborne　his　own　decision。




CHAPTER　V

A　FORSYTE　MENAGE


Like　the　enlightened　thousands　of　his　class　and　generation　in　this　great　city　of　London；　who　no　longer　believe　in　red　velvet　chairs；　and　know　that　groups　of　modern　Italian　marble　are　'vieux　jeu；'　Soames　Forsyte　inhabited　a　house　which　did　what　it　could。　It　owned　a　copper　door　knocker　of　individual　design；　windows　which　had　been　altered　to　open　outwards；　hanging　flower　boxes　filled　with　fuchsias；　and　at　the　back　（a　great　feature）　a　little　court　tiled　with　jade…green　tiles；　and　surrounded　by　pink　hydrangeas　in　peacock…blue　tubs。　　Here；　under　a　parchment…　coloured　Japanese　sunshade　covering　the　whole　end；　inhabitants　or　visitors　could　be　screened　from　the　eyes　of　the　curious　while　they　drank　tea　and　examined　at　their　leisure　the　latest　of　Soames's　little　silver　boxes。。

The　inner　decoration　favoured　the　First　Empire　and　William　Morris。　　For　its　size；　the　house　was　commodious；　there　were　countless　nooks　resembling　birds'　nests；　and　little　things　made　of　silver　were　deposited　like　eggs。

In　this　general　perfection　two　kinds　of　fastidiousness　were　at　war。　　There　lived　here　a　mistress　who　would　have　dwelt　daintily　on　a　desert　island；　a　master　whose　daintiness　was；　as　it　were；　an　investment；　cultivated　by　the　owner　for　his　advancement；　in　accordance　with　the　laws　of　competition。　　This　competitive　daintiness　had　caused　Soames　in　his　Marlborough　days　to　be　the　first　boy　into　white　waistcoats　in　summer；　and　corduroy　waistcoats　in　winter；　had　prevented　him　from　ever　appearing　in；　public　with　his　tie　climbing　up　his　collar；　and　induced　him　to　dust　his　patent　leather　boots　before　a　great　multitude　assembled　on　Speech　Day　to　hear　him　recite　Moliere。

Skin…like　immaculateness　had　grown　over　Soames；　as　over　many　Londoners；　impossible　to　conceive　of　him　with　a　hair　out　of　place；　a　tie　deviating　one…eighth　of　an　inch　from　the　perpendicular；　a　collar　unglossed！　　He　would　not　have　gone　without　a　bath　for　worldsit　was　the　fashion　to　take　baths；　and　how　bitter　was　his　scorn　of　people　who　omitted　them！

But　Irene　could　be　imagined；　like　some　nymph；　bathing　in　wayside　streams；　for　the　joy　of　the　freshness　and　of　seeing　her　own　fair　body。

In　this　conflict　throughout　the　house　the　woman　had　gone　to　the　wall。　　As　in　the　struggle　between　Saxon　and　Celt　still　going　on　within　the　nation；　the　more　impressionable　and　receptive　temperament　had　had　forced　on　it　a　conventional　superstructure。

Thus　the　house　had　acquired　a　close　resemblance　to　hundreds　of　other　houses　with　the　same　high　aspirations；　having　become：　'That　very　charming　little　house　of　the　Soames　Forsytes；　quite　individual；　my　dearreally　elegant。'

For　Soames　Forsyteread　James　Peabody；　Thomas　Atkins；　or　Emmanuel　Spagnoletti；　the　name　in　fact　of　any　upper…middle　class　Englishman　in　London　with　any　pretensions　to　taste；　and　though　the　decoration　be　different；　the　phrase　is　just。

On　the　evening　of　August　8；　a　week　after　the　expedition　to　Robin　Hill；　in　the　dining…room　of　this　house'quite　individual；　my　dearreally　elegant'…　Soames　and　Irene　were　seated　at　dinner。　　A　hot　dinner　on　Sundays　was　a　little　distinguishing　elegance　common　to　this　house　and　many　others。　　Early　in　married　life　Soames　had　laid　down　the　rule：　'The　servants　must　give　us　hot　dinner　on　Sundaysthey've　nothing　to　do　but　play　the　concertina。'

The　custom　had　produced　no　revolution。　　Forto　Soames　a　rather　deplorable　signservants　were　devoted　to　Irene；　who；　in　defiance　of　all　safe　tradition；　appeared　to　recognise　their　right　to　a　share　in　the　weaknesses　of　human　nature。

The　happy　pair　were　seated；　not　opposite　each　other；　but　rectangularly；　at　the　handsome　rosewood　table；　they　dined　without　a　clotha　distinguishing　eleganceand　so　far　had　not　spoken　a　word。

Soames　liked　to　talk　during　dinner　about　business；　or　what　he　had　been　buying；　and　so　long　as　he　talked　Irene's　silence　did　not　distress　him。　　This　evening　he　had　found　it　impossible　to　talk。　The　decision　to　build　had　been　weighing　on　his　mind　all　the　week；　and　he　had　made　up　his　mind　to　tell　her。

His　nervousness　about　this　disclosure　irritated　him　profoundly；　she　had　no　business　to　make　him　feel　like　thata　wife　and　a　husband　being　one　person。　　She　had　not　looked　at　him　once　since　they　sat　down；　and　he　wondered　what　on　earth　she　had　been　thinking　about　all　the　time。　　It　was　hard；　when　a　man　worked　as　he　did；　making　money　for　heryes；　and　with　an　ache　in　his　heart…　…that　she　should　sit　there；　lookinglooking　as　if　she　saw　the　walls　of　the　room　closing　in。　　It　was　enough　to　make　a　man　get　up　and　leave　the　table。

The　light　from　the　rose…shaded　lamp　fell　on　her　neck　and　arms　Soames　liked　her　to　dine　in　a　low　dress；　it　gave　him　an　inexpressible　feeling　of　superiority　to　the　majority　of　his　acquaintance；　whose　wives　were　contented　with　their　best　high　frocks　or　with　tea…gowns；　when　they　dined　at　home。　　Under　that　rosy　light　her　amber…coloured　hair　and　fair　skin　made　strange　contrast　with　her　dark　brown　eyes。

Could　a　man　own　anything　prettier　than　this　dining…table　with　its　deep　tints；　the　starry；　soft…petalled　roses；　the　ruby…coloured　glass；　and　quaint　silver　furnishing；　could　a　man　own　anything　prettier　than　the　woman　who　sat　at　it？　　Gratitude　was　no　virtue　among　Forsytes；　who；　competitive；　and　full　of　common…sense；　had　no　occasion　for　it；　and　Soames　only　experienced　a　sense　of　exasperation　amounting　to　pain；　that　he　did　not　own　her　as　it　was　his　right；　to　own　her；　that　he　could　not；　as　by　stretching　out　his　hand　to　that　rose；　pluck　her　and　sniff　the　very　secrets　of　her　heart。

Out　of　his　other　property；　out　of　all　the　things　he　had　collected；　his　silver；　his　pictures；　his　houses；　his　investments；　he　got　a　secret　and　intimate　feeling；　out　of　her　he　got　none。

In　this　house　of　his　there　was　writing　on　every　wall。　　His　business…like　temperament　protested　against　a　mysterious　warning　that　she　was　not　made　for　him。　　He　had　married　this　woman；　conquered　her；　made　her　his　own；　and　it　seemed　to　him　contrary　to　the　most　fundamental　of　all　laws；　the　law　of　possession；　that　he　could　do　no　more　than　own　her　bodyif　indeed　he　could　do　that；　which　he　was　beginning　to　doubt。　　If　any　one　had　asked　him　if　he　wanted　to　own　her　soul；　the　question　would　have　seemed　to　him　both　ridiculous　and　sentimental。　　But　he　did　so　want；　and　the　writing　said　he　never　would。

She　was　ever　silent；　passive；　gracefully　averse；　as　though　terrified　lest　by　word；　motion；　or　sign　she　might　lead　him　to　believe　that　she　was　fond　of　him；　and　he　asked　himself：　Must　I　always　go　on　like　this？

Like　most　novel　readers　of　his　generation　（and　Soames　was　a　great　novel　reader）；　literature　coloured　his　view　of　life；　and　he　had　imbibed　the　belief　that　it　was　only　a　question　of　time。

In　the　end　the　husband　always　gained　the　affection　of　his　wife。　Even　in　those　casesa　class　of　book　he　was　not　very　fond　of　which　ended　in　tragedy；　the　wife　always　died　with　poignant　regrets　on　her　lips；　or　if　it　were　the　husband　who　died　unpleasant　thoughtthrew　herself　on　his　body　in　an　agony　of　remorse。

He　often　took　Irene　to　the　theatre；　instinctively　choosing　the　modern　Society　Plays　with　the　modern　Society　conjugal　problem；　so　fortunately　different　from　any　conjugal　problem　in　real　life。　　He　found　that　they　too　always　ended　in　the　same　way；　even　when　there　was　a　lover　in　the　case。　　While　he　was　watching　the　play　Soames　often　sympathized　with　the　lover；　but　before　he　reached　home　again；　driving　with　Irene　in　a　hansom；　he　saw　that　this　would　not　do；　and　he　was　glad　the　play　had　ended　as　it　had。　　There　was　one　class　of　husband　that　had　just　then　come　into　fashion；　the　strong；　rather　rough；　but　extremely　sound　man；　who　was　peculiarly　successful　at　the　end　of　the　play；　with　this　person　Soames　was　really　not　in　sympathy；　and　had　it　not　been　for　his　own　position；　would　have　expressed　his　disgust　with　the　fellow。　　But　he　was　so　conscious　of　how　vital　to　himself　was　the　necessity　for　being　a　successful；　even　a　'strong；'　husband；　that　be　never　spoke　of　a　distaste　born　perhaps　by　the　perverse　processes　of　Nature　out　of　a　secret　fund　of　brutality　in　himself。

But　Irene's　silence　this　evening　was　exceptional。　　He　had　never　before　seen　such　an　expression　on　her　face。　　And　since　it　is　always　the　unusual　which　alarms；　Soames　was　alarmed。　　He　ate　his　savoury；　and　hurried　the　maid　as　she　swept　off　the　crumbs　with　the　silver　sweeper。　　When　she　had　left　the　room；　he　filled　his。　glass　with　wine　and　said：

〃Anybody　been　here　this　afternoon？〃

〃June。〃

〃What　did　she　want？〃　　It　was　an　axiom　with　the　Forsytes　that　people　did　not　go　anywhere　unless　they　wanted　something。　　〃Came　to　talk　about　her　lover；　I　suppose？〃

Irene　made　no　reply。

It　looks　to　me；〃　continued　Soames；　〃as　if　she　were　sweeter　on　him　than　he　is　on　her。　　She's　always　following　him　about。〃

Irene's　eyes　made　him　feel　uncomfortable。

〃You've　no　business　to　say　such　a　thing！〃　she　exclaimed。

〃Why　not？　　Anybody　can　see　it。〃

〃They　cannot。　　And　if　they　could；　it's　disgraceful　to　say　so。〃

Soames's　composure　gave　way。

〃You're　a　pretty　wife！〃　he　said。　　But　secretly　he　wondered　at　the　heat　of　her　reply；　it　was　unlike　her。　　〃You're　cracked　about　June！　　I　can　tell　you　one　thing：　now　that　she　has　the　Buccaneer　in　tow；　she　doesn't　care　twopence　about　you；　and；　you'll　find　it　out。　　But　you　won't　see　so　much　of　her　in　future；　we're　going　to　live　in　the　country。〃

He　had　been　glad　to　get　his　news　out　under　cover　of　this　burst　of　irritation。　　He　had　expected　a　cry　of　dismay；　the　silence　with　which　his　pronouncement　was　received　alarmed　him。

〃You　don't　seem　interested；〃　he　was　obliged　to　add。

〃I　knew　it　already。〃

He　looked　at　her　sharply。

〃Who　told　you？〃

〃June。〃

〃How　did　she　know？〃

Irene　did　not　answer。　　Baffled　and　uncomf