man of property-第50章

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〃Yet　you've　done　it　yourself！〃

Young　Jolyon　acknowledged　the　hit　by　losing　his　smile。

〃You　forget；〃　he　said　with　a　queer　pride；　〃I　can　hold　on；　too　I'm　a　Forsyte　myself。　　We're　all　in　the　path　of　great　forces。　The　man　who　leaves　the　shelter　of　the　wallwellyou　know　what　I　mean。　　I　don't；〃　he　ended　very　low；　as　though　uttering　a　threat；　〃recommend　every　man　to…go…my…way。　　It　depends。〃

The　colour　rushed　into　Bosinney's　face；　but　soon　receded；　leaving　it　sallow…brown　as　before。　　He　gave　a　short　laugh；　that　left　his　lips　fixed　in　a　queer；　fierce　smile；　his　eyes　mocked　young　Jolyon。

〃Thanks；〃　he　said。　　〃It's　deuced　kind　of　you。　　But　you're　not　the　only　chaps　that　can　hold　on。〃　　He　rose。

Young　Jolyon　looked　after　him　as　he　walked　away；　and；　resting　his　head　on　his　hand；　sighed。

In　the　drowsy；　almost　empty　room　the　only　sounds　were　the　rustle　of　newspapers；　the　scraping　of　matches　being　struck。　　He　stayed　a　long　time　without　moving；　living　over　again　those　days　when　he；　too；　had　sat　long　hours　watching　the　clock；　waiting　for　the　minutes　to　passlong　hours　full　of　the　torments　of　uncertainty；　and　of　a　fierce；　sweet　aching；　and　the　slow；　delicious　agony　of　that　season　came　back　to　him　with　its　old　poignancy。　　The　sight　of　Bosinney；　with　his　haggard　face；　and　his　restless　eyes　always　wandering　to　the　clock；　had　roused　in　him　a　pity；　with　which　was　mingled　strange；　irresistible　envy。

He　knew　the　signs　so　well。　　Whither　was　he　goingto　what　sort　of　fate？　　What　kind　of　woman　was　it　who　was　drawing　him　to　her　by　that　magnetic　force　which　no　consideration　of　honour；　no　principle；　no　interest　could　withstand；　from　which　the　only　escape　was　flight。

Flight！　　But　why　should　Bosinney　fly？　　A　man　fled　when　he　was　in　danger　of　destroying　hearth　and　home；　when　there　were　children；　when　he　felt　himself　trampling　down　ideals；　breaking　something。　But　here；　so　he　had　heard；　it　was　all　broken　to　his　hand。

He　himself　had　not　fled；　nor　would　he　fly　if　it　were　all　to　come　over　again。　　Yet　he　had　gone　further　than　Bosinney；　had　broken　up　his　own　unhappy　home；　not　someone　else's：　And　the　old　saying　came　back　to　him：　'A　man's　fate　lies　in　his　own　heart。'

In　his　own　heart！　　The　proof　of　the　pudding　was　in　the　eating　Bosinney　had　still　to　eat　his　pudding。

His　thoughts　passed　to　the　woman；　the　woman　whom　he　did　not　know；　but　the　outline　of　whose　story　he　had　heard。

An　unhappy　marriage！　　No　ill…treatmentonly　that　indefinable　malaise；　that　terrible　blight　which　killed　all　sweetness　under　Heaven；　and　so　from　day　to　day；　from　night　to　night；　from　week　to　week；　from　year　to　year；　till　death　should　end　it

But　young　Jolyon；　the　bitterness　of　whose　own　feelings　time　had　assuaged；　saw　Soames'　side　of　the　question　too。　　Whence　should　a　man　like　his　cousin；　saturated　with　all　the　prejudices　and　beliefs　of　his　class；　draw　the　insight　or　inspiration　necessary　to　break　up　this　life？　　It　was　a　question　of　imagination；　of　projecting　himself　into　the　future　beyond　the　unpleasant　gossip；　sneers；　and　tattle　that　followed　on　such　separations；　beyond　the　passing　pangs　that　the　lack　of　the　sight　of　her　would　cause；　beyond　the　grave　disapproval　of　the　worthy。　　But　few　men；　and　especially　few　men　of　Soames'　class；　had　imagination　enough　for　that。　　A　deal　of　mortals　in　this　world；　and　not　enough　imagination　to　go　round！　　And　sweet　Heaven；　what　a　difference　between　theory　and　practice；　many　a　man；　perhaps　even　Soames；　held　chivalrous　views　on　such　matters；　who　when　the　shoe　pinched　found　a　distinguishing　factor　that　made　of　himself　an　exception。

Then；　too；　he　distrusted　his　judgment。　　He　had　been　through　the　experience　himself；　had　tasted　too　the　dregs　the　bitterness　of　an　unhappy　marriage；　and　how　could　he　take　the　wide　and　dispassionate　view　of　those　who　had　never　been　within　sound　of　the　battle？　His　evidence　was　too　first…handlike　the　evidence　on　military　matters　of　a　soldier　who　has　been　through　much　active　service；　against　that　of　civilians　who　have　not　suffered　the　disadvantage　of　seeing　things　too　close。　　Most　people　would　consider　such　a　marriage　as　that　of　Soames　and　Irene　quite　fairly　successful；　he　had　money；　she　had　beauty；　it　was　a　case　for　compromise。　There　was　no　reason　why　they　should　not　jog　along；　even　if　they　hated　each　other。　　It　would　not　matter　if　they　went　their　own　ways　a　little　so　long　as　the　decencies　were　observedthe　sanctity　of　the　marriage　tie；　of　the　common　home；　respected。　Half　the　marriages　of　the　upper　classes　were　conducted　on　these　lines：　Do　not　offend　the　susceptibilities　of　Society；　do　not　offend　the　susceptibilities　of　the　Church。　　To　avoid　offending　these　is　worth　the　sacrifice　of　any　private　feelings。　　The　advantages　of　the　stable　home　are　visible；　tangible；　so　many　pieces　of　property；　there　is　no　risk　in　the　statu　quo。　　To　break　up　a　home　is　at　the　best　a　dangerous　experiment；　and　selfish　into　the　bargain。

This　was　the　case　for　the　defence；　and　young　Jolyon　sighed。

'The　core　of　it　all；'　he　thought；　'is　property；　but　there　are　many　people　who　would　not　like　it　put　that　way。　　To　them　it　is　〃the　sanctity　of　the　marriage　tie〃；　but　the　sanctity　of　the　marriage　tie　is　dependent　on　the　sanctity　of　the　family；　and　the　sanctity　of　the　family　is　dependent　on　the　sanctity　of　property。　And　yet　I　imagine　all　these　people　are　followers　of　One　who　never　owned　anything。　　It　is　curious！'

And　again　young　Jolyon　sighed。

'Am　I　going　on　my　way　home　to　ask　any　poor　devils　I　meet　to　share　my　dinner；　which　will　then　be　too　little　for　myself；　or；　at　all　events；　for　my　wife；　who　is　necessary　to　my　health　and　happiness？　It　may　be　that　after　all　Soames　does　well　to　exercise　his　rights　and　support　by　his　practice　the　sacred　principle　of　property　which　benefits　us　all；　with　the　exception　of　those　who　suffer　by　the　process。'

And　so　he　left　his　chair；　threaded　his　way　through　the　maze　of　seats；　took　his　hat；　and　languidly　up　the　hot　streets　crowded　with　carriages；　reeking　with　dusty　odours；　wended　his　way　home。

Before　reaching　Wistaria　Avenue　he　removed　old　Jolyon's　letter　from　his　pocket；　and　tearing　it　carefully　into　tiny　pieces；　scattered　them　in　the　dust　of　the　road。

He　let　himself　in　with　his　key；　and　called　his　wife's　name。　　But　she　had　gone　out；　taking　Jolly　and　Holly；　and　the　house　was　empty；　alone　in　the　garden　the　dog　Balthasar　lay　in　the　shade　snapping　at　flies。

Young　Jolyon　took　his　seat　there；　too；　under　the　pear…tree　that　bore　no　fruit。




CHAPTER　XI

BOSINNEY　ON　PAROLE


The　day　after　the　evening　at　Richmond　Soames　returned　from　Henley　by　a　morning　train。　　Not　constitutionally　interested　in　amphibious　sports；　his　visit　had　been　one　of　business　rather　than

pleasure；　a　client　of　some　importance　having　asked　him　down。

He　went　straight　to　the　City；　but　finding　things　slack；　he　left　at　three　o'clock；　glad　of　this　chance　to　get　home　quietly。　　Irene　did　not　expect　him。　　Not　that　he　had　any　desire　to　spy　on　her　actions；　but　there　was　no　harm　in　thus　unexpectedly　surveying　the　scene。

After　changing　to　Park　clothes　he　went　into　the　drawing…room。　She　was　sitting　idly　in　the　corner　of　the　sofa；　her　favourite　seat；　and　there　were　circles　under　her　eyes；　as　though　she　had　not　slept。

He　asked：　〃How　is　it　you're　in？　　Are　you　expecting　somebody？〃

〃Yes　that　is；　not　particularly。〃

〃Who？〃

〃Mr。　Bosinney　said　he　might　come。〃

〃Bosinney。　　He　ought　to　be　at　work。〃

To　this　she　made　no　answer。

〃Well；〃　said　Soames；　〃I　want　you　to　come　out　to　the　Stores　with　me；　and　after　that　we'll　go　to　the　Park。〃

〃I　don't　want　to　go　out；　I　have　a　headache。〃

Soames　replied：　〃If　ever　I　want　you　to　do　anything；　you've　always　got　a　headache。　　It'll　do　you　good　to　come　and　sit　under　the　trees。〃

She　did　not　answer。

Soames　was　silent　for　some　minutes；　at　last　he　said：　〃I　don't　know　what　your　idea　of　a　wife's　duty　is。　　I　never　have　known！〃

He　had　not　expected　her　to　reply；　but　she　did。

〃I　have　tried　to　do　what　you　want；　it's　not　my　fault　that　I　haven't　been　able　to　put　my　heart　into　it。〃

〃Whose　fault　is　it；　then？〃　He　watched　her　askance。

〃Before　we　were　married　you　promised　to　let　me　go　if　our　marriage　was　not　a　success。　　Is　it　a　success？〃

Soames　frowned。

〃Success；〃　he　stammered〃it　would　b