man of property-第57部分

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ed　the　master　at　any　moment：

〃He's　always　at　'ome　to　tea；　sir；　to　play　with　the　children。〃

Old　Jolyon　said　he　would　wait；　and　sat　down　patiently　enough　in　the　faded；　shabby　drawing　room；　where；　now　that　the　summer　chintzes　were　removed；　the　old　chairs　and　sofas　revealed　all　their　threadbare　deficiencies。　　He　longed　to　send　for　the　children；　to　have　them　there　beside　him；　their　supple　bodies　against　his　knees；　to　hear　Jolly's：　〃Hallo；　Gran！〃　and　see　his　rush；　and　feel　Holly's　soft　little　hand　stealing　up　against　his　cheek。　　But　he　would　not。　　There　was　solemnity　in　what　he　had　come　to　do；　and　until　it　was　over　he　would　not　play。　　He　amused　himself　by　thinking　how　with　two　strokes　of　his　pen　he　was　going　to　restore　the　look　of　caste　so　conspicuously　absent　from　everything　in　that　little　house；　how　he　could　fill　these　rooms；　or　others　in　some　larger　mansion；　with　triumphs　of　art　from　Baple　and　Pullbred's；　how　he　could　send　little　Jolly　to　Harrow　and　Oxford　（he　no　longer　had　faith　in　Eton　and　Cambridge；　for　his　son　had　been　there）；　how　he　could　procure　little　Holly　the　best　musical　instruction；　the　child　had　a　remarkable　aptitude。

As　these　visions　crowded　before　him；　causing　emotion　to　swell　his　heart；　he　rose；　and　stood　at　the　window；　looking　down　into　the　little　walled　strip　of　garden；　where　the　pear…tree；　bare　of　leaves　before　its　time；　stood　with　gaunt　branches　in　the　slow…gathering　mist　of　the　autumn　afternoon。　　The　dog　Balthasar；　his　tail　curled　tightly　over　a　piebald；　furry　back；　was　walking　at　the　farther　end；　sniffing　at　the　plants；　and　at　intervals　placing　his　leg　for　support　against　the　wall。

And　old　Jolyon　mused。

What　pleasure　was　there　left　but　to　give？　　It　was　pleasant　to　give；　when　you　could　find　one　who　would　be　thankful　for　what　you　gaveone　of　your　own　flesh　and　blood！　　There　was　no　such　satisfaction　to　be　had　out　of　giving　to　those　who　did　not　belong　to　you；　to　those　who　had　no　claim　on　you！　　Such　giving　as　that　was　a　betrayal　of　the　individualistic　convictions　and　actions　of　his　life；　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　expect