man of property-第58章

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〃What　do　you　want？〃　she　said。　　〃Please　leave　my　room！〃

He　answered：　〃I　want　to　know　how　long　this　state　of　things　between　us　is　to　last？　　I　have　put　up　with　it　long　enough。〃

〃Will　you　please　leave　my　room？〃

〃Will　you　treat　me　as　your　husband？〃

〃No。〃

〃Then；　I　shall　take　steps　to　make　you。〃

〃Do！〃

He　stared；　amazed　at　the　calmness　of　her　answer。　　Her　lips　were　compressed　in　a　thin　line；　her　hair　lay　in　fluffy　masses　on　her　bare　shoulders；　in　all　its　strange　golden　contrast　to　her　dark　eyesthose　eyes　alive　with　the　emotions　of　fear；　hate；　contempt；　and　odd；　haunting　triumph。

〃Now；　please；　will　you　leave　my　room？〃　He　turned　round；　and　went　sulkily　out。

He　knew　very　well　that　he　had　no　intention　of　taking　steps；　and　he　saw　that　she　knew　tooknew　that　he　was　afraid　to。

It　was　a　habit　with　him　to　tell　her　the　doings　of　his　day：　how　such　and　such　clients　had　called；　how　he　had　arranged　a　mortgage　for　Parkes；　how　that　long…standing　suit　of　Fryer　v。　Forsyte　was　getting　on；　which；　arising　in　the　preternaturally　careful　disposition　of　his　property　by　his　great　uncle　Nicholas；　who　had　tied　it　up　so　that　no　one　could　get　at　it　at　all；　seemed　likely　to　remain　a　source　of　income　for　several　solicitors　till　the　Day　of　Judgment。

And　how　he　had　called　in　at　Jobson's；　and　seen　a　Boucher　sold；　which　he　had　just　missed　buying　of　Talleyrand　and　Sons　in　Pall　Mall。

He　had　an　admiration　for　Boucher；　Watteau；　and　all　that　school。　It　was　a　habit　with　him　to　tell　her　all　these　matters；　and　he　continued　to　do　it　even　now；　talking　for　long　spells　at　dinner；　as　though　by　the　volubility　of　words　he　could　conceal　from　himself　the　ache　in　his　heart。

Often；　if　they　were　alone；　he　made　an　attempt　to　kiss　her　when　she　said　good…night。　　He　may　have　had　some　vague　notion　that　some　night　she　would　let　him；　or　perhaps　only　the　feeling　that　a　husband　ought　to　kiss　his　wife。　　Even　if　she　hated　him；　he　at　all　events　ought　not　to　put　himself　in　the　wrong　by　neglecting　this　ancient　rite。

And　why　did　she　hate　him？　　Even　now　he　could　not　altogether　believe　it。　　It　was　strange　to　be　hated！the　emotion　was　too　extreme；　yet　he　hated　Bosinney；　that　Buccaneer；　that　prowling　vagabond；　that　night…wanderer。　　For　in　his　thoughts　Soames　always　saw　him　lying　in　waitwandering。　　Ah；　but　he　must　be　in　very　low　water！　　Young　Burkitt；　the　architect；　had　seen　him　coming　out　of　a　third…rate　restaurant；　looking　terribly　down　in　the　mouth！

During　all　the　hours　he　lay　awake；　thinking　over　the　situation；　which　seemed　to　have　no　endunless　she　should　suddenly　come　to　her　sensesnever　once　did　the　thought　of　separating　from　his　wife　seriously　enter　his　head。。。。

And　the　Forsytes！　　What　part　did　they　play　in　this　stage　of　Soames'　subterranean　tragedy？

Truth　to　say；　little　or　none；　for　they　were　at　the　sea。

》From　hotels；　hydropathics；　or　lodging…houses；　they　were　bathing　daily；　laying　in　a　stock　of　ozone　to　last　them　through　the　winter。

Each　section；　in　the　vineyard　of　its　own　choosing；　grew　and　culled　and　pressed　and　bottled　the　grapes　of　a　pet　sea…air。

The　end　of　September　began　to　witness　their　several　returns。

In　rude　health　and　small　omnibuses；　with　considerable　colour　in　their　cheeks；　they　arrived　daily　from　the　various　termini。　　The　following　morning　saw　them　back　at　their　vocations。

On　the　next　Sunday　Timothy's　was　thronged　from　lunch　till　dinner。

Amongst　other　gossip；　too　numerous　and　interesting　to　relate；　Mrs。　Septimus　Small　mentioned　that　Soames　and　Irene　had　not　been　away。

It　remained　for　a　comparative　outsider　to　supply　the　next　evidence　of　interest。

It　chanced　that　one　afternoon　late　in　September；　Mrs。　MacAnder；　Winifred　Dartie's　greatest　friend；　taking　a　constitutional；　with　young　Augustus　Flippard；　on　her　bicycle　in　Richmond　Park；　passed　Irene　and　Bosinney　walking　from　the　bracken　towards　the　Sheen　Gate。

Perhaps　the　poor　little　woman　was　thirsty；　for　she　had　ridden　long　on　a　hard；　dry　road；　and；　as　all　London　knows；　to　ride　a　bicycle　and　talk　to　young　Flippard　will　try　the　toughest　constitution；　or　perhaps　the　sight　of　the　cool　bracken　grove；　whence　'those　two'　were　coming　down；　excited　her　envy。　　The　cool　bracken　grove　on　the　top　of　the　hill；　with　the　oak　boughs　for　roof；　where　the　pigeons　were　raising　an　endless　wedding　hymn；　and　the　autumn；　humming；　whispered　to　the　ears　of　lovers　in　the　fern；　while　the　deer　stole　by。　　The　bracken　grove　of　irretrievable　delights；　of　golden　minutes　in　the　long　marriage　of　heaven　and　earth！　　The　bracken　grove；　sacred　to　stags；　to　strange　tree…stump　fauns　leaping　around　the　silver　whiteness　of　a　birch…tree　nymph　at　summer　dusk

This　lady　knew　all　the　Forsytes；　and　having　been　at　June's　'at　home；'　was　not　at　a　loss　to　see　with　whom　she　had　to　deal。　　Her　own　marriage；　poor　thing；　had　not　been　successful；　but　having　had　the　good　sense　and　ability　to　force　her　husband　into　pronounced　error；　she　herself　had　passed　through　the　necessary　divorce　proceedings　without　incurring　censure。

She　was　therefore　a　judge　of　all　that　sort　of　thing；　and　lived　in　one　of　those　large　buildings；　where　in　small　sets　of　apartments；　are　gathered　incredible　quantities　of　Forsytes；　whose　chief　recreation　out　of　business　hours　is　the　discussion　of　each　other's　affairs。

Poor　little　woman；　perhaps　she　was　thirsty；　certainly　she　was　bored；　for　Flippard　was　a　wit。　　To　see　'those　two'　in　so　unlikely　a　spot　was　quite　a　merciful　'pick…me…up。'

At　the　MacAnder；　like　all　London；　Time　pauses。

This　small　but　remarkable　woman　merits　attention；　her　all…seeing　eye　and　shrewd　tongue　were　inscrutably　the　means　of　furthering　the　ends　of　Providence。

With　an　air　of　being　in　at　the　death；　she　had　an　almost　distressing　power　of　taking　care　of　herself。　　She　had　done　more；　perhaps；　in　her　way　than　any　woman　about　town　to　destroy　the　sense　of　chivalry　which　still　clogs　the　wheel　of　civilization。　So　smart　she　was；　and　spoken　of　endearingly　as　'the　little　MacAnder！'

Dressing　tightly　and　well；　she　belonged　to　a　Woman's　Club；　but　was　by　no　means　the　neurotic　and　dismal　type　of　member　who　was　always　thinking　of　her　rights。　　She　took　her　rights　unconsciously；　they　came　natural　to　her；　and　she　knew　exactly　how　to　make　the　most　of　them　without　exciting　anything　but　admiration　amongst　that　great　class　to　whom　she　was　affiliated；　not　precisely　perhaps　by　manner；　but　by　birth；　breeding；　and　the　true；　the　secret　gauge；　a　sense　of　property。

The　daughter　of　a　Bedfordshire　solicitor；　by　the　daughter　of　a　clergyman；　she　had　never；　through　all　the　painful　experience　of　being　married　to　a　very　mild　painter　with　a　cranky　love　of　Nature；　who　had　deserted　her　for　an　actress；　lost　touch　with　the　requirements；　beliefs；　and　inner　feeling　of　Society；　and；　on　attaining　her　liberty；　she　placed　herself　without　effort　in　the　very　van　of　Forsyteism。

Always　in　good　spirits；　and　'full　of　information；'　she　was　universally　welcomed。　　She　excited　neither　surprise　nor　disapprobation　when　encountered　on　the　Rhine　or　at　Zermatt；　either　alone；　or　travelling　with　a　lady　and　two　gentlemen；　it　was　felt　that　she　was　perfectly　capable　of　taking　care　of　herself；　and　the　hearts　of　all　Forsytes　warmed　to　that　wonderful　instinct；　which　enabled　her　to　enjoy　everything　without　giving　anything　away。　　It　was　generally　felt　that　to　such　women　as　Mrs。　MacAnder　should　we　look　for　the　perpetuation　and　increase　of　our　best　type　of　woman。　　She　had　never　had　any　children。

If　there　was　one　thing　more　than　another　that　she　could　not　stand　it　was　one　of　those　soft　women　with　what　men　called　'charm'　about　them；　and　for　Mrs。　Soames　she　always　had　an　especial　dislike。

Obscurely；　no　doubt；　she　felt　that　if　charm　were　once　admitted　as　the　criterion；　smartness　and　capability　must　go　to　the　wall；　and　she　hatedwith　a　hatred　the　deeper　that　at　times　this　so…called　charm　seemed　to　disturb　all　calculationsthe　subtle　seductiveness　which　she　could　not　altogether　overlook　in　Irene。

She　said；　however；　that　she　could　see　nothing　in　the　womanthere　was　no　'go'　about　hershe　would　never　be　able　to　stand　up　for　herselfanyone　could　take　advantage　of　her；　that　was　plainshe　could　not　see　in　fact　what　men　found　to　admire！

She　was　not　really　ill…natured；　but；　in　maintaining　her　position　af