man of property-第19章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


this　silence：

〃I　shall　have　to　be　looking　about　for　some　ground　somewhere。　What　arrangements　have　you　made；　Swithin？〃

And　Swithin；　fixing　him　with　a　dreadful　stare；　answered：

〃Don't　talk　to　me　about　such　things！〃

In　the　third　carriage　a　disjointed　conversation　was　carried　on　in　the　intervals　of　looking　out　to　see　how　far　they　had　got；　George　remarking；　〃Well；　it　was　really　time　that　the　poor　old　lady　went。〃　　He　didn't　believe　in　people　living　beyond　seventy；　Young　Nicholas　replied　mildly　that　the　rule　didn't　seem　to　apply　to　the　Forsytes。　　George　said　he　himself　intended　to　commit　suicide　at　sixty。　　Young　Nicholas；　smiling　and　stroking　A　long　chin；　didn't　think　his　father　would　like　that　theory；　he　had　made　a　lot　of　money　since　he　was　sixty。　　Well；　seventy　was　the　outside　limit；　it　was　then　time；　George　said；　for　them　to　go　and　leave　their　money　to　their　children。　　Soames；　hitherto　silent；　here　joined　in；　he　had　not　forgotten　the　remark　about　the　'undertaking；'　and；　lifting　his　eyelids　almost　imperceptibly；　said　it　was　all　very　well　for　people　who　never　made　money　to　talk。　　He　himself　intended　to　live　as　long　as　he　could。　　This　was　a　hit　at　George；　who　was　notoriously　hard　up。　　Bosinney　muttered　abstractedly　〃Hear；　hear！〃　and；　George　yawning；　the　conversation　dropped。

Upon　arriving；　the　coffin　was　borne　into　the　chapel；　and；　two　by　two；　the　mourners　filed　in　behind　it。　　This　guard　of　men；　all　attached　to　the　dead　by　the　bond　of　kinship；　was　an　impressive　and　singular　sight　in　the　great　city　of　London；　with　its　overwhelming　diversity　of　life；　its　innumerable　vocations；　pleasures；　duties；　its　terrible　hardness；　its　terrible　call　to　individualism。

The　family　had　gathered　to　triumph　over　all　this；　to　give　a　show　of　tenacious　unity；　to　illustrate　gloriously　that　law　of　property　underlying　the　growth　of　their　tree；　by　which　it　had　thriven　and　spread；　trunk　and　branches；　the　sap　flowing　through　all；　the　full　growth　reached　at　the　appointed　time。　　The　spirit　of　the　old　woman　lying　in　her　last　sleep　had　called　them　to　this　demonstration。　　It　was　her　final　appeal　to　that　unity　which　had　been　their　strengthit　was　her　final　triumph　that　she　had　died　while　the　tree　was　yet　whole。

She　was　spared　the　watching　of　the　branches　jut　out　beyond　the　point　of　balance。　　She　could　not　look　into　the　hearts　of　her　followers。　　The　same　law　that　had　worked　in　her；　bringing　her　up　from　a　tall；　straight…backed　slip　of　a　girl　to；　a　woman　strong　and　grown；　from　a　woman　grown　to　a　woman　old；　angular；　feeble；　almost　witchlike；　with　individuality　all　sharpened　and　sharpened；　as　all　rounding　from　the　world's　contact　fell　off　from　herthat　same　law　would　work；　was：　working；　in　the　family　she　had　watched　like　a　mother。

She　had　seen　it　young；　and　growing；　she　had；　seen　it　strong　and　grown；　and　before　her　old　eyes　had　time　or　strength　to　see　any　more；　she　died。　　She　would　have　tried；　and　who　knows　but　she　might　have　kept　it　young　and　strong；　with　her　old　fingers；　her　trembling　kissesa　little　longer；　alas！　not　even　Aunt　Ann　could　fight　with　Nature。

'Pride　comes　before　a　fall！'　In　accordance　with　this；　the　greatest　of　Nature's　ironies；　the　Forsyte　family　had　gathered　for　a　last　proud　pageant　before　they　fell。　　Their　faces　to　right　and　left；　in　single　lines；　were　turned　for　the　most　part　impassively　toward　the　ground；　guardians　of　their　thoughts；　but　here　and　there；　one　looking　upward；　with　a　line　between　his　brows；　searched　to　see　some　sight　on　the　chapel　walls　too　much　for；　him；　to　be　listening　to　something　that　appalled。　　And　the；　responses；　low…muttered；　in　voices　through　which　rose　the　same　tone；　the　same　unseizable　family　ring；　sounded　weird；　as　though　murmured　in　hurried　duplication　by　a　single　person。

The　service　in　the　chapel　over；　the　mourners　filed　up　again　to　guard　the　body　to　the　tomb。　　The　vault　stood　open；　and；　round　it；　men　in　black　were　waiting。

》From　that　high　and　sacred　field；　where　thousands　of　the　upper　middle　class　lay　in　their　last　sleep；　the　eyes　of　the　Forsytes　travelled　down　across　the　flocks　of　graves。　　Therespreading　to　the　distance；　lay　London；　with　no　sun　over　it；　mourning　the　loss　of　its　daughter；　mourning　with　this　family；　so　dear；　the　loss　of　her　who　was　mother　and　guardian。　　A　hundred　thousand　spires　and　houses；　blurred　in　the　great　grey　web　of　property；　lay　there　like　prostrate　worshippers　before　the　grave　of　this；　the　oldest　Forsyte　of　them　all。

A　few　words；　a　sprinkle　of　earth；　the　thrusting　of　the　coffin　home；　and　Aunt　Ann　had　passed　to　her　last　rest。

Round　the　vault；　trustees　of　that　passing；　the　five　brothers　stood；　with　white　heads　bowed；　they　would　see　that　Ann　was　comfortable　where　she　was。　　going。　　Her　little　property　must　stay　behind；　but　otherwise；　all　that　could　be　should　be　done。。。。

Then；　severally；　each　stood　aside；　and　putting　on　his　hat；　turned　back　to　inspect　the　new　inscription　on　the　marble　of　the　family　vault：


SACRED　TO　THE　MEMORY　OF　ANN　FORSYTE；　THE　DAUGHTER　OF　THE　ABOVE　JOLYON　AND　ANN　FORSYTE；　WHO　DEPARTED　THIS　LIFE　THE　27TH　DAY　OF　SEPTEMBER；　1886；　AGED　EIGHTY…SEVEN　YEARS　AND　FOUR　DAYS


Soon　perhaps；　someone　else　would　be　wanting　an　inscription。　　It　was　strange　and　intolerable；　for　they　had　not　thought　somehow；　that　Forsytes　could　die。　　And　one　and　all　they　had　a　longing　to　get　away　from　this　painfulness；　this　ceremony　which　had　reminded　them　of　things　they　could　not　bear　to　think　aboutto　get　away　quickly　and　go　about　their　business　and　forget。

It　was　cold；　too；　the　wind；　like　some　slow；　disintegrating　force；　blowing　up　the　hill　over　the　graves；　struck　them　with　its　chilly　breath；　they　began　to　split　into　groups；　and　as　quickly　as　possible　to　fill　the　waiting　carriages。

Swithin　said　he　should　go　back　to　lunch　at　Timothy's；　and　he　offered　to　take　anybody　with　him　in　his　brougham。　　It　was　considered　a　doubtful　privilege　to　drive　with　Swithin　in　his　brougham；　which　was　not　a　large　one；　nobody　accepted；　and　he　went　off　alone。　　James　and　Roger　followed　immediately　after；　they　also　would　drop　in　to　lunch。　　The　others　gradually　melted　away；　Old　Jolyon　taking　three　nephews　to　fill　up　his　carriage；　he　had　a　want　of　those　young　faces。

Soames；　who　had　to　arrange　some　details　in　the　cemetery　office；　walked　away　with　Bosinney。　　He　had　much　to　talk　over　with　him；　and；　having　finished　his　business；　they　strolled　to　Hampstead；　lunched　together　at　the　Spaniard's　Inn；　and　spent　a　long　time　in　going　into　practical　details　connected　with　the　building　of　the　house；　they　then　proceeded　to　the　tram…line；　and　came　as　far　as　the　Marble　Arch；　where　Bosinney　went　off　to　Stanhope　Gate　to　see　June。

Soames　felt　in　excellent　spirits　when　he　arrived　home；　and　confided　to　Irene　at　dinner　that　he　had　had　a　good　talk　with　Bosinney；　who　really　seemed　a　sensible　fellow；　they　had　had　a　capital　walk　too；　which　had　done　his　liver　goodhe　had　been　short　of　exercise　for　a　long　timeand　altogether　a　very　satisfactory　day。　　If　only　it　hadn't　been　for　poor　Aunt　Ann；　he　would　have　taken　her　to　the　theatre；　as　it　was；　they　must　make　the　best　of　an　evening　at　home。

〃The　Buccaneer　asked　after　you　more　than　once；〃　he　said　suddenly。　　And　moved　by　some　inexplicable　desire　to　assert　his　proprietorship；　he　rose　from　his　chair　and　planted　a　kiss　on　his　wife's　shoulder。





PART　II


CHAPTER　I

PROGRESS　OF　THE　HOUSE


The　winter　had　been　an　open　one。　　Things　in　the　trade　were　slack；　and　as　Soames　had　reflected　before　making　up　his　mind；　it　had　been　a　good　time　for　building。　　The　shell　of　the　house　at　Robin　Hill　was　thus　completed　by　the　end　of　April。

Now　that　there　was　something　to　be　seen　for　his　money；　he　had　been　coming　down　once；　　twice；　even　three　times　a　week；　and　would　mouse　about　among　the　debris　for　hours；　careful　never　to　soil　his　clothes；　moving　silently　through　the　unfinished　brickwork　of　doorways；　or　circling　round　the　columns　in　the　central　court。

And　he　would　stand　before　them　for　minutes'　together；　as　though　peering　into　the　real　quality　of　their　substance

On　April　30　he　had　an　appointment　with　Bosinney　to　go　over　the　accounts；　and　five　minutes　before　the　proper　time　he　entered　the　tent　which　the　architect　had　pitched　for　himself　close　to　the　old　oak　tree。

The　Accounts　were　already　prepared　on　a　folding　table；　and　　with　a　nod　Soames　sat　down　to　study　them。　　It　was　some　time　before　he　raised　his　head。

〃I　can't　make　them　out；〃　he　said　at　last；　〃they　come　to　nearly　seven　hundred　more　than　they　ought〃

After　a　glance　at　Bosinney〃s　faces　he　went　on　quickly：

〃If　you　only　make　a　firm　stand　against　these　builder　chaps　you'll　get　them　down。　　They　stick　you　with　everything　if　you　don't　look　sharp。。。。　　Take　ten　per　cent。　off　all　round。　　I　shan't　mind　it's　coming　out　a　hundred　or　so　over　the　mark！

Bosinney　shook　his　head：

I've　taken　off　every　farthing　I　can！

Soames　pushed　back　the　table　with　a　movement　of　anger；　which　sent　the　account　sheets　fluttering　to　the　ground。

〃Then　all　I　can　say　is；〃　he　flustered　out；　〃you've　made　a　pretty　mess　of　it！〃

〃I've　told　you　a　dozen　times；〃　Bosinney　answered　sharply；　that　there'd　be　extras。　　I've　pointed　them　out　to　you　over　and　over　again！〃

I　know　that；〃　growled　Soames：　〃I　shouldn't　have　objected　to　a　ten　pound　note　here　and　there。　　How　was　I　to　know　that　by　'extras'　you　meant　seven　hundred　pounds？〃

The　qualities　of　both　men　had　contributed　to　this　notinconsider…　able　discrepancy。　　On　the　one　hand；　the　architect's　devotion　to　his　idea；　to　the　image　of　a　house　which　he　had　created　and　believed　inhad　made　him　nervous　of　being　stopped；　or　forced　to　the　use　of　makeshifts；　on　the　other；　Soames'　not　less　true　and　wholehearted　devotion　to　the　very　best　article　that　could　　be　obtained　for　the　money；　had　rendered　him　averse　to　believing　that　things　worth　thirteen　shillings　could　not　be　bought　with　twelve。

I　wish　I'd　never　undertaken　your　house；〃　said　Bosinney　suddenly。　〃You　come　down　here　worrying　me　out　of　my　life。　　You　want　double　the　value　for　your　money　anybody　else　would；　and　now　that　you've　got　a　house　that　for　its　size　is　not　to　be　beaten　in　the　county；　you　don't　want　to　pay　for　it。　　If　you're　anxious　to　be　off　your　bargain；　I　daresay　I　can　find　the　balance　above　the　estimates　myself；　but　I'm　dd　if　I　do　another　stroke　of　work　for　you！

Soames　regained　his　composure。　　Knowing　that　Bosinney　had　no　capital；　he　regarded　this　as　a　wild　suggestion。　　He　saw；　too；　that　he　would　be　kept　indefinitely　out　of　this　house　on　which　he　had　set　his　heart；　and　just　at　the　crucial　point　when　the　architect's　personal　care　made　all　the　difference。　　In　the　meantime　there　was　Irene　to　be　thought　of！　　She　had　been　very　queer　lately。　　He　really　believed　it　was　only　because　she　had　taken　to　Bosinney　that　she　tolerated　the　idea　of　the　house　at　all。　　It　would　not　do　to　make　an　open　breach　with　her。

〃You　needn't　get　into　a　rage；〃　he　said。　　〃If　I'm　willing　to　put　up　with　it；　I　suppose　you　needn't　cry　out。　　All　I　meant　was　that　when　you　tell　me　a　thing　is　going　to　cost　so　much；　I　like　to　well；　in　fact；　Ilike　to　know　where　I　am。〃

〃Look　here！〃　said　Bosinney；　and　Soames　was　both　annoyed　and　surprised　by　the　shrewdness　of　his　glance。　　〃You've　got　my　services　dirt　cheap。　　For　the　kind　of　work　I've　put　into　this　house；　and　the　amount　of　time　I've　given　to　it；