man of property-第47章

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；　of　all　his　enterprise；　his　labour；　and　his　moderation；　of　the　great　and　proud　fact　that；　like　tens　of　thousands　of　Forsytes　before　him；　tens　of　thousands　in　the　present；　tens　of　thousands　in　the　future；　he　had　always　made　his　own；　and　held　his　own；　in　the　world。

And；　while　he　stood　there　looking　down　on　the　smut…covered　foliage　of　the　laurels；　the　blackstained　grass…plot；　the　progress　of　the　dog　Balthasar；　all　the　suffering　of　the　fifteen　years　during　which　he　had　been　baulked　of　legitimate　enjoyment　mingled　its　gall　with　the　sweetness　of　the　approaching　moment。

Young　Jolyon　came　at　last；　pleased　with　his　work；　and　fresh　from　long　hours　in　the　open　air。　　On　hearing　that　his　father　was　in　the　drawing　room；　he　inquired　hurriedly　whether　Mrs。　Forsyte　was　at　home；　and　being　informed　that　she　was　not；　heaved　a　sigh　of　relief。　　Then　putting　his　painting　materials　carefully　in　the　little　coat…closet　out　of　sight；　he　went　in。

With　characteristic　decision　old　Jolyon　came　at　once　to　the　point。　　〃I've　been　altering　my　arrangements；　Jo；〃　he　said。　　〃You　can　cut　your　coat　a　bit　longer　in　the　futureI'm　settling　a　thousand　a　year　on　you　at　once。　　June　will　have　fifty　thousand　at　my　death；　and　you　the　rest。　　That　dog　of　yours　is　spoiling　the　garden。　　I　shouldn't　keep　a　dog；　if　I　were　you！〃

The　dog　Balthasar；　seated　in　the　centre　of　the　lawn；　was　examining　his　tail。

Young　Jolyon　looked　at　the　animal；　but　saw　him　dimly；　for　his　eyes　were　misty。

〃Yours　won't　come　short　of　a　hundred　thousand；　my　boy；〃　said　old　Jolyon；　〃I　thought　you'd　better　know。　　I　haven't　much　longer　to　live　at　my　age。　　I　shan't　allude　to　it　again。　　How's　your　wife？

Andgive　her　my　love。〃

Young　Jolyon　put　his　hand　on　his　father's　shoulder；　and；　as　neither　spoke；　the　episode　closed。

Having　seen　his　father　into　a　hansom；　young　Jolyon　came　back　to　the　drawing…room　and　stood；　where　old　Jolyon　had　stood；　looking　down　on　the　little　garden。　　He　tried　to　realize　all　that　this　meant　to　him；　and；　Forsyte　that　he　was；　vistas　of　property　were　opened　out　in　his　brain；　the　years　of　half　rations　through　which　he　had　passed　had　not　sapped　his　natural　instincts。　　In　extremely　practical　form；　he　thought　of　travel；　of　his　wife's　costume；　the　children's　education；　a　pony　for　Jolly；　a　thousand　things；　but　in　the　midst　of　all　he　thought；　too；　of　Bosinney　and　his　mistress；　and　the　broken　song　of　the　thrush。　　Joytragedy！　　Which？　　Which？

The　old　pastthe　poignant；　suffering；　passionate；　wonderful　past；　that　no　money　could　buy；　that　nothing　could　restore　in　all　its　burning　sweetnesshad　come　back　before　him。

When　his　wife　came　in　he　went　straight　up　to　her　and　took　her　in　his　arms；　and　for　a　long　time　he　stood　without　speaking；　his　eyes　closed；　pressing　her　to　him；　while　she　looked　at　him　with　a　wondering；　adoring；　doubting　look　in　her　eyes。




CHAPTER　IV

VOYAGE　INTO　THE　INFERNO


The　morning　after　a　certain　night　on　which　Soames　at　last　asserted　his　rights　and　acted　like　a　man；　he　breakfasted　alone。

He　breakfasted　by　gaslight；　the　fog　of　late　November　wrapping　the　town　as　in　some　monstrous　blanket　till　the　trees　of　the　Square　even　were　barely　visible　from　the　diningroom　window。

He　ate　steadily；　but　at　times　a　sensation　as　though　he　could　not　swallow　attacked　him。　　Had　he　been　right　to　yield　to　his　overmastering　hunger　of　the　night　before；　and　break　down　the　resistance　which　he　had　suffered　now　too　long　from　this　woman　who　was　his　lawful　and　solemnly　constituted　helpmate？

He　was　strangely　haunted　by　the　recollection　of　her　face；　from　before　which；　to　soothe　her；　he　had　tried　to　pull　her　handsof　her　terrible　smothered　sobbing；　the　like　of　which　he　had　never　heard；　and　still　seemed　to　hear；　and　he　was　still　haunted　by　the　odd；　intolerable　feeling　of　remorse　and　shame　he　had　felt；　as　he　stood　looking　at　her　by　the　flame　of　the　single　candle；　before　silently　slinking　away。

And　somehow；　now　that　he　had　acted　like　this；　he　was　surprised　at　himself。

Two　nights　before；　at　Winifred　Dartie's；　he　had　taken　Mrs。　MacAnder　into　dinner。　　She　had　said　to　him；　looking　in　his　face　with　her　sharp；　greenish　eyes：　〃And　so　your　wife　is　a　great　friend　of　that　Mr。　Bosinney's？〃

Not　deigning　to　ask　what　she　meant；　he　had　brooded　over　her　words。

They　had　roused　in　him　a　fierce　jealousy；　which；　with　the　peculiar　perversion　of　this　instinct；　had　turned　to　fiercer　desire。

Without　the　incentive　of　Mrs。　MacAnder's　words　he　might　never　have　done　what　he　had　done。　　Without　their　incentive　and　the　accident　of　finding　his　wife's　door　for　once　unlocked；　which　had　enabled　him　to　steal　upon　her　asleep。

Slumber　had　removed　his　doubts；　but　the　morning　brought　them　again。　　One　thought　comforted　him：　No　one　would　knowit　was　not　the　sort　of　thing　that　she　would　speak　about。

And；　indeed；　when　the　vehicle　of　his　daily　business　life；　which　needed　so　imperatively　the　grease　of　clear　and　practical　thought；　started　rolling　once　more　with　the　reading　of　his　letters；　those　nightmare…like　doubts　began　to　assume　less　extravagant　importance　at　the　back　of　his　mind。　　The　incident　was　really　not　of　great　moment；　women　made　a　fuss　about　it　in　books；　but　in　the　cool　judgment　of　right…thinking　men；　of　men　of　the　world；　of　such　as　he　recollected　often　received　praise　in　the　Divorce　Court；　he　had　but　done　his　best　to　sustain　the　sanctity　of　marriage；　to　prevent　her　from　abandoning　her　duty；　possibly；　if　she　were　still　seeing　Bosinney；　from。。。。

No；　he　did　not　regret　it。

Now　that　the　first　step　towards　reconciliation　had　been　taken；　the　rest　would　be　comparativelycomparatively。。。。

He；　rose　and　walked　to　the　window。　　His　nerve　had　been　shaken。　The　sound　of　smothered　sobbing　was　in　his　ears　again。　　He　could　not　get　rid　of　it。

He　put　on　his　fur　coat；　and　went　out　into　the　fog；　having　to　go　into　the　City；　he　took　the　underground　railway　from　Sloane　Square　station。

In　his　corner　of　the　first…class　compartment　filled　with　City　men　the　smothered　sobbing　still　haunted　him；　so　he　opened　the　Times　with　the　rich　crackle　that　drowns　all　lesser　sounds；　and；　barricaded　behind　it；　set　himself　steadily　to　con　the　news。

He　read　that　a　Recorder　had　charged　a　grand　jury　on　the　previous　day　with　a　more　than　usually　long　list　of　offences。　　He　read　of　three　murders；　five　manslaughters；　seven　arsons；　and　as　many　as　eleven　rapesa　surprisingly　high　numberin　addition　to　many　less　conspicuous　crimes；　to　be　tried　during　a　coming　Sessions；　and　from　one　piece　of　news　he　went　on　to　another；　keeping　the　paper　well　before　his　face。

And　still；　inseparable　from　his　reading；　was　the　memory　of　Irene's　tear…stained　face；　and　the　sounds　from　her　broken　heart。

The　day　was　a　busy　one；　including；　in　addition　to　the　ordinary　affairs　of　his　practice；　a　visit　to　his　brokers；　Messrs。　Grin　and　Grinning；　to　give　them　instructions　to　sell　his　shares　in　the　New　Colliery　Co。；　Ltd。；　whose　business　he　suspected；　rather　than　knew；　was　stagnating　（this　enterprise　afterwards　slowly　declined；　and　was　ultimately　sold　for　a　song　to　an　American　syndicate）；　and　a　long　conference　at　Waterbuck；　Q。C。's　chambers；　attended　by　Boulter；　by　Fiske；　the　junior　counsel；　and　Waterbuck；　Q。C。；　himself。

The　case　of　Forsyte　v。　Bosinney　was　expected　to　be　reached　on　the　morrow；　before　Mr。　Justice　Bentham。

Mr。　Justice　Bentham；　a　man　of　common…sense　rather　than　too　great　legal　knowledge；　was　considered　to　be　about　the　best　man　they　could　have　to　try　the　action。　　He　was　a　'strong'　Judge。

Waterbuck；　Q。C。；　in　pleasing　conjunction　with　an　almost　rude　neglect　of　Boulter　and　Fiske　paid　to　Soames　a　good　deal　of　attention；　by　instinct　or　the　sounder　evidence　of　rumour；　feeling　him　to　be　a　man　of　property。

He　held　with　remarkable　consistency　to　the　opinion　he　had　already　expressed　in　writing；　that　the　issue　would　depend　to　a　great　extent　on　the　evidence　given　at　the　trial；　and　in　a　few　well　directed　remarks　he　advised　Soames　not　to　be　too　careful　in　giving　that　evidence。　　〃A　little　bluffness；　Mr。　Forsyte；〃　he　said；　〃a　little　bluffness；〃　and　after　he　had　spoken　he　laughed　firmly；　closed　his　lips　tight；　and　scratched　his　head　just　below　where　he　had　pushed　his　wig　back；　for　all　the　world　like　the　gentleman…　farmer　for　whom　he　loved　to　be　taken。　　He　was　considered　perhaps　the　leading　man　in　breach　of　promise　cases。

Soames　used　the　underground　again　in　going　home。

The　fog　was　worse　than　ever　at　Sloane　Square　station。　　Through　the　still；　thick　blur；　men　groped　in　and　out；　women；　very　few；　grasped　their　reticules　to　their　bosoms　and　handkerchiefs　to　their　mouths；　crowned　with　the　weird　excrescence　of　the　driver；　haloed　by　a　vague　glow　of　lamp…light　that　seemed　to　drown　in　vapour　before　it　reached　the　pavement；　cabs　loomed　dimshaped　ever　and　again；　and　discharged　citizens；　bolting　like　rabbits　to　their　burrows。

And　these　shadowy　figures；　wrapped　each　in　his　own　little　shroud　of　fog；　took　no　notice　of　each　other。　　In　the　great　warren；　each　rabbit　for　himself；　especially　those　clothed　in　the　more　expensive　fur；　who；　afraid　of　carriages　on　foggy　days；　are　driven　underground。

One　figure；　however；　not　far　from　Soames；　waited　at　the　station　door。

Some　buccaneer　or　lover；　of　whom　each　Forsyte　thought：　'Poor　devil！　looks　as　if　he　were　having　a　bad　time！'　　Their　kind　hearts　beat　a　stroke　faster　for　that　poor；　waiting；　anxious　lover　in　the　fog；　but　they　hurried　by；　well　knowing　that　they　had　neither　time　nor　money　to　spare　for　any　suffering　but　their　own。

Only　a　policeman；　patrolling　slowly　and　at　intervals；　took　an　interest　in　that　waiting　figure；　the　brim　of　whose　slouch　hat　half　hid　a　face　reddened　by　the　cold；　all　thin；　and　haggard；　over　which　a　hand　stole　now　and　again　to　smooth　away　anxiety；　or　renew　the　resolution　that　kept　him　waiting　there。　　But　the　waiting　lover　（if　lover　he　were）　was　used　to　policemen's　scrutiny；　or　too　absorbed　in　his　anxiety；　for　he　never　flinched。　　A　hardened　case；　accustomed　to　long　trysts；　to　anxiety；　and　fog；　and　cold；　if　only　his　mistress　came　at　last。　　Foolish　lover！　　Fogs　last　until　the　spring；　there　is　also　snow　and　rain；　no　comfort　anywhere；　gnawing　fear　if　you　bring　her　out；　gnawing　fear　if　you　bid　her　stay　at　home！

〃Serve　him　right；　he　should　arrange　his　affairs　better！〃

So　any　respectable　Forsyte。　　Yet；　if　that　sounder　citizen　could　have　listened　at　the　waiting　lover's　heart；　out　there　in　the　fog　and　the　cold；　he　would　have　said　again：　〃Yes；　poor　devil　he's　having　a　bad　time！〃

Soames　got　into　his　cab；　and；　with　the　glass　down；　crept　along　Sloane　Street；　and　so　along　the　Brompton　Road；　and　home。　　He　reached　his　house　at　five。

His　wife　was　not　in。　　She　had　gone　out　a　quarter　of　an　hour　before。　　Out　at　such　a　time　of　night；　into　this　terrible　fog！　What　was　the　meaning　of　that？

He　sat　by　the　dining…room　fire；　with　the　door　open；　disturbed　to　the　soul；　trying　to　read　the　evening　paper。　　A　book　was　no　good　in　daily　papers　alone　was　any　narcotic　to　such　worry　as　his。　》From　the　customary　events　recorded　in　the　journal　he　drew　some　comfort。　　'Suicide　of　an　actress''Grave　indisposition　of　a　Statesman'　（that　chronic　sufferer）'Divorce　of　an　army　officer'　'Fire　in　a　colliery'he　read　them　all。　　They　helped　him　a　littleprescribed　by　the　greatest　of　all　doctors；　our　natural　taste。

It　was　nearly　seven　when　he　heard　her　co