man of property-第53部分

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fe。　　It　was　an　event。　　They　would　ask　Timothy；　they　said。　　But　they　never　did；　knowing　in　advance　that　it　would　upset　him。　　Surreptitiously；　however；　for　weeks　after　they　would　look　in　that　paper；　which　they　took　with　respect　on　account　of　its　really　fashionable　proclivities；　to　see　whether　'Bright's　Rubies'　or　'The　Woollen　Mackintosh　Company'　were　up　or　down。　　Sometimes　they　could　not　find　the　name　of　the　company　at　all；　and　they　would　wait　until　James　or　Roger　or　even　Swithin　came　in；　and　ask　them　in　voices　trembling　with　curiosity　how　that　'Bolivia　Lime　and　Speltrate　was　doingthey　could　not　find　it　in　the　paper。

And　Roger　would　answer：　〃What　do　you　want　to　know　for？　　Some　trash！　　You'll　go　burning　your　fingersinvesting　your　money　in　lime；　and　things　you　know　nothing　about！　　Who　told　you？〃　and　ascertaining　what　they　had　been　told；　he　would　go　away；　and；　making　inquiries　in　the　City；　would　perhaps　invest　some　of　his　own　money　in　the　concern。

It　was　about　the　middle　of　dinner；　just　in　fact　as　the　saddle　of　mutton　had　been　brought　in　by　Smither；　that　Mrs。　MacAnder；　looking　airily　round；　said：　〃Oh！　and　whom　do　you　think　I　passed　to…day　in　Richmond　Park？　　You'll　never　guessMrs。　Soames　and　Mr。　Bosinney。　　They　must　have　been　down　to　look　at　the　house！〃

Winifred　Dartie　coughed；　and　no　one　said　a　word。　　It　was　the　piece　of　evidence　they　had　all　unconsciously　been　waiting　for。

To　do　Mrs。　MacAnder　justice；　she　had　been　to　Switzerland　and　the　Italian　lakes　with　a　party　of　three；　and　had　not　heard　of　Soames'　rupture　with　his　architect。　　She　could　not　tell；　therefore；　the　profound　impression　her　words　would　make。

Upright　and　a　little　flushed；　she　moved　her　small；　shrewd　eyes　from　face　to　face；　trying　to　gauge　the　effect　of　her　words。　　On　either　side　of　her　a　Hayman　boy；　his　lean；　taciturn；　hungry　face　turned　towards　his　plate；　ate　his　mutton　steadily。

These　two；　Giles　and　Jesse；　were　so　alike　and　so　inseparable　that　they　were　known　as　the　Dromios。　　They　never　talked；　and　seemed　always　completely　occupied　in　doing　nothing。　　It　was　popularly　supposed　that　they　were　cramming　for　an　important　examination。　They　walked　without　hats　for　long　hours　in　the　Gardens　attached　to　their　house；　books　in　their　hands；　a　fox…terrier　at　their　heels；　never　saying　a　word；　and　smoking　all　the　time。　　Every　morning；　about　fifty　yards　apart；　they　trotted　down　Campden　Hill　on　two　lean　hacks；　with　legs　as　long　as　their　own；　and　every　morning　about　an　hour　later；　still　fifty　yards　apart；　they　cantered　up　again。　　Every　evening；　wherever　they　had　dined；　they　might　be　observed　about　half…past　ten；　leaning　over　the　balustrade　of　the　Alhambra　promenade。

They　were　never　seen　otherwise　than　together；　in　this　way　passing　their　lives；　apparently　perfectly　content。

Inspired　by　some　dumb　stirring　within　them　of　the　feelings　of　gentlemen；　they　turned　at　this　painful　moment　to　Mrs。　MacAnder；　and　said　in　precisely　the　same　voice：　〃Have　you　seen　the。。。？〃

Such　was　her　surprise　at　being　thus　addressed　that　she　put　down　her　fork；　and　Smither；　who　was　passing；　promptly　removed　her　plate。　　Mrs。　MacAnder；　however；　with　presence　of　mind；　said　instantly：　〃I　must　have　a　little　more　of　that　nice　mutton。〃

But　afterwards　in　the　drawingroom　she　sat　down　by　Mrs。　Small；　determined　to　get　to　the　bottom　of　the　matter。　　And　she　began：

〃What　a　charming　woman；　Mrs。　Soames；　such　a　sympathetic　temperament！　　Soames　is　a　really　lucky　man！〃

Her　anxiety　for　information　had　not　made　sufficient　allowance　for　that　inner　Forsyte　skin　which　refuses　to　share　its　troubles　with　outsiders。

Mrs。　Septimus　Small；　drawing　herself　up　with　a　creak　and　rustle　of　her　whole　person；　said；　shivering　in　her　dignity：

〃My　dear；　it　is　a　subject　we　do　not　talk　about！〃




CHAPTER　II

NIGHT　IN　THE　PARK


Although　with　her　infallible　instinct　Mrs。　Small　had　said　the　very　thing　to　make　her　guest　'more　intriguee　than　ever；'　it　is　difficult　to　see　how　else　she　could　truthfully　have　spoken。

It　was　not　a　subject　which　the　Forsytes　could　talk　about　even　among　themselvesto　use　the　word　Soames　had　invented　to　characterize　to　himself　the　situation；　it　was　'subterranean。'

Yet；　within　a　week　of　Mrs。　MacAnder's　encounter　in　Richmond　Park；　to　all　of　themsave　Timothy；　from　whom　it　was　carefully　keptto　James　on　his　domestic　beat　from　the　Poultry　to　Park　Lane；　to　George　the　wild　one；　on　his　daily　adventure　from　the　bow　window　at　the　Haversnake　to　the　billiard　room　at　the　'Red　Pottle；'　was　it　known　that　'those　two'　had　gone　to　extremes。

George　（it　was　he　who　invented　many　of　those　striking　expressions　still　current　in　fashionable　circles）　voiced　the　sentiment　more　accurately　than　any　one　when　he　said　to　his　brother　Eustace　that　'the　Buccaneer'　was　'going　it'；　he　expected　Soames　was　about　'fed　up。'

It　was　felt　that　he　must　be；　and　yet；　what　could　be　done？　　He　ought　perhaps　to　take　steps；　but　to　take　steps　would　be　deplorable。

Without　an　open　scandal　which　they　could　not　see　their　way　to　recommending；　it　was　difficult　to　see　what　steps　could　be　taken。　In　this　impasse；　the　only　thing　was　to　say　nothing　to　Soames；　and　nothing　to　each　other；　in　fact；　to　pass　it　over。

By　displaying　towards　Irene　a　dignified　coldness；　some　impression　might　be　made　upon　her；　but　she　was　seldom　now　to　be　seen；　and　there　seemed　a　slight　difficulty　in　seeking　her　out　on　purpose　to　show　her　coldness。　　Sometimes　in　the　privacy　of　his　bedroom　James　would　reveal　to　Emily　the　real　suffering　that　his　son's　misfortune　caused　him。

〃I　can't　tell；〃　he　would　say；　〃it　worries　me　out　of　my　life。　There'll　be　a　scandal；　and　that'll　do　him　no　good。　　I　shan't　say　anything　to　him。　　There　might　be　nothing　in　it。　　What　do　you　think？　　She's　very　artistic；　they　tell　me。　　What？　　Oh；　you're　a　'regular　Juley！　　Well；　I　don't　know；　I　expect　the　worst。　　This　is　what　comes　of　having　no　children。　　I　knew　how　it　would　be　from　the　first。　　They　never　told　me　they　didn't　mean　to　have　any　childrennobody　tells　me　anything！〃

On　his　knees　by　the　side　of　the　bed；　his　eyes　open　and　fixed　with　worry；　he　would　breathe　into　the　counterpane。　　Clad　in　his　nightshirt；　his　neck　poked　forward；　his　back　rounded；　he　resembled　some　long　white　bird。

〃Our　Father…；〃　he　repeated；　turning　over　and　over　again　the　thought　of　this　possible　scandal。

Like　old　Jolyon；　he；　too；　at　the　bottom　of　his　heart　set　the　blame　of　the　tragedy　down　to　family　interference。　　What　business　had　that　lothe　began　to　think　of　the　Stanhope　Gate　branch；　including　young　Jolyon　and　his　daughter；　as　'that　lot'to　introduce　a　person　like　this　Bosinney　into　the　family？　　（He　had　heard　George's　soubriquet；　'The　Buccaneer；'　but　he　could　make　nothing　of　thatthe　young　man　was　an　architect。）

He　began　to　feel　that　his　brother　Jolyon；　to　whom　he　had　always　looked　up　and　on　whose　opinion　he　had　relied；　was　not　quite　what　he　had　expected。

Not　having　his　eldest　brother's　force　of　character；　he　was　more　sad　than　angry。　　His　great　comfort　was　to　go　to　Winifred's；　and　take　the　little　Darties　in　his　carriage　over　to　Kensington　Gardens；　and　there；　by　the　Round　Pond；　he　could　often　be　seen　walking　with　his　eyes　fixed　anxiously　on　little　Publius　Dartie's　sailing…boat；　which　he　had　himself　freighted　with　a　penny；　as　though　convinced　that　it　would　never　again　come　to　shore；　while　little　Publiuswho；　James　delighted　to　say；　was　not　a　bit　like　his　father　skipping　along　under　his　lee；　would　try　to　get　him　to　bet　another　that　it　never　would；　having　found　that　it　always　did。　And　James　would　make　the　bet；　he　always　paidsometimes　as　many　as　three　or　four　pennies　in　the　afternoon；　for　the　game　seemed　never　to　pall　on　little　Publiusand　always　in　paying　he　said：　〃Now；　that's　for　your　money…box。　　Why；　you're　getting　quite　a　rich　man！〃　　The　thought　of　his　little　grandson's　growing　wealth　was　a　real　pleasure　to　him。　　But　little　Publius　knew　a　sweet…shop；　and　a　trick　worth　two　of　that。

And　they　would　walk　home　across　the　Park；　James'　figure；　with　high　shoulders　and　absorbed　and　worried　face；　exercising　its　tall；　lean　protectorship；　pathetically　unregarded；　over　the　robust　child…figures　of　Imogen　and　little　Publius。

But　those　Gardens　and　that　Park　were　not　sacred　to　James。　Forsytes　and　tramps；　children　and　lovers；　rested　and　wandered　day　after　day；　night　after　night；　seeking　one　and　all　some　freedom　from　labour；　from　the　reek　and　turmoil　of　the　streets。

The　leaves　browned　slowly；　lingering　with　the　sun　and　summer…like　warmth　of　the　nights。

On　Saturday；　October　5；　the　sky　that　had　been　blue　all　day　deepened　after　sunset　to　the　bloom　of　purple　grapes。　　There　was　no　moon；　and　a　clear　dark；　like　some　velvety　garment；　was　wrapped　around　the　trees；　whose　thinned　branches；　resembling　plumes；　stirred　not　in　the　still；　warm　air。　　All　London　had　poured　into　the　Park；　draining　the　cup　of　summer　to　its　dregs。

Couple　after　couple；　from　every　gate；　they　streamed　along　the　paths　and　over　the　burnt　grass；　and　one　after　another；　silently　out　of　the　lighted　spaces；　stole　into　the　shelter　of　the　feathery　trees；　where；　blotted　against　some　trunk；　or　under　the　shadow　of　shrubs；　they　were　lost　to　all　but　themselves　in　the　heart　of　the　soft　darkness。

To　fresh…comers　along　the　paths；　these　forerunners　formed　but　part　of　that　passi