第4章

Thisdogseemstohavetakenafancytoyou。”

ForBalthasar，feelingthatshewasabouttoleave，wasrubbinghissideagainstherleg。Goingoutundertheporchwithher，hesaid：”He’llgetyouupinanhourandaquarter。Takethisforyourprotegees，”andheslippedachequeforfiftypoundsintoherhand。

Hesawherbrightenedeyes，andheardhermurmur：”OhUncleJolyon！”andarealthrobofpleasurewentthroughhim。Thatmeantoneortwopoorcreatureshelpedalittle，anditmeantthatshewouldcomeagain。Heputhishandinatthewindowandgraspedhersoncemore。Thecarriagerolledaway。Hestoodlookingatthemoonandtheshadowsofthetrees，andthought：’Asweetnight！She……！’

II

Twodaysofrain，andsummersetinblandandsunny。OldJolyonwalkedandtalkedwithHolly。Atfirsthefelttallerandfullofanewvigour；thenhefeltrestless。Almosteveryafternoontheywouldenterthecoppice，andwalkasfarasthelog。’Well，she’snotthere！’hewouldthink，’ofcoursenot！’Andhewouldfeelalittleshorter，anddraghisfeetwalkingupthehillhome，withhishandclappedtohisleftside。Nowandthenthethoughtwouldmoveinhim：’Didshecome——ordidIdreamit?’andhewouldstareatspace，whilethedogBalthasarstaredathim。Ofcourseshewouldnotcomeagain！HeopenedthelettersfromSpainwithlessexcitement。TheywerenotreturningtillJuly；hefelt，oddly，thathecouldbearit。Everydayatdinnerhescreweduphiseyesandlookedatwhereshehadsat。Shewasnotthere，soheunscrewedhiseyesagain。

Ontheseventhafternoonhethought：’Imustgoupandgetsomeboots。’HeorderedBeacon，andsetout。PassingfromPutneytowardsHydeParkhereflected：’ImightaswellgotoChelseaandseeher。’Andhecalledout：”Justdrivemetowhereyoutookthatladytheothernight。”Thecoachmanturnedhisbroadredface，andhisjuicylipsanswered：”Theladyingrey，sir?””Yes，theladyingrey。”Whatotherladieswerethere！Stodgychap！

Thecarriagestoppedbeforeasmallthree-storiedblockofflats，standingalittlebackfromtheriver。WithapractisedeyeoldJolyonsawthattheywerecheap。’Ishouldthinkaboutsixtypoundayear，’hemused；andentering，helookedatthename-board。Thename’Forsyte’wasnotonit，butagainst’FirstFloor，FlatC’

werethewords：’Mrs。IreneHeron。’Ah！Shehadtakenhermaidennameagain！Andsomehowthispleasedhim。Hewentupstairsslowly，feelinghissidealittle。Hestoodamoment，beforeringing，tolosethefeelingofdragandflutteringthere。Shewouldnotbein！AndthenBoots！Thethoughtwasblack。Whatdidhewantwithbootsathisage?Hecouldnotwearoutallthosehehad。”Yourmistressathome?””Yes，sir。””SayMr。JolyonForsyte。””Yes，sir，willyoucomethisway?”

OldJolyonfollowedaverylittlemaid——notmorethansixteenonewouldsay——intoaverysmalldrawing-roomwherethesun-blindsweredrawn。Itheldacottagepianoandlittleelsesaveavaguefragranceandgoodtaste。’Hestoodinthemiddle，withhistophatinhishand，andthought：’Iexpectshe’sverybadlyoff！’

Therewasamirrorabovethefireplace，andhesawhimselfreflected。Anold-lookingchap！Heheardarustle，andturnedround。Shewassoclosethathismoustachealmostbrushedherforehead，justunderherhair。”Iwasdrivingup，”hesaid。”ThoughtI’dlookinonyou，andaskyouhowyougotuptheothernight。”

And，seeinghersmile，hefeltsuddenlyrelieved。Shewasreallygladtoseehim，perhaps。”WouldyouliketoputonyourhatandcomeforadriveinthePark?”

Butwhileshewasgonetoputherhaton，hefrowned。ThePark！

JamesandEmily！Mrs。Nicholas，orsomeothermemberofhispreciousfamilywouldbethereverylikely，prancingupanddown。

Andtheywouldgoandwagtheirtonguesabouthavingseenhimwithher，afterwards。Betternot！HedidnotwishtorevivetheechoesofthepastonForsyte’Change。’Heremovedawhitehairfromthelapelofhisclosely-buttoned-upfrockcoat，andpassedhishandoverhischeeks，moustache，andsquarechin。Itfeltveryhollowthereunderthecheekbones。Hehadnotbeeneatingmuchlately——hehadbettergetthatlittlewhippersnapperwhoattendedHollytogivehimatonic。Butshehadcomebackandwhentheywereinthecarriage，hesaid：”SupposewegoandsitinKensingtonGardensinstead?”andaddedwithatwinkle：”Noprancingupanddownthere，”asifshehadbeeninthesecretofhisthoughts。

Leavingthecarriage，theyenteredthoseselectprecincts，andstrolledtowardsthewater。”You’vegonebacktoyourmaidenname，Isee，”hesaid：”I’mnotsorry。”

Sheslippedherhandunderhisarm：”HasJuneforgivenme，UncleJolyon?”

Heansweredgently：”Yes——yes；ofcourse，whynot?””Andhaveyou?””I?IforgaveyouassoonasIsawhowthelandreallylay。”Andperhapshehad；hisinstincthadalwaysbeentoforgivethebeautiful。

Shedrewadeepbreath。”Ineverregretted——Icouldn’t。Didyoueverloveverydeeply，UncleJolyon?”

AtthatstrangequestionoldJolyonstaredbeforehim。Hadhe?Hedidnotseemtorememberthatheeverhad。Buthedidnotliketosaythistotheyoungwomanwhosehandwastouchinghisarm，whoselifewassuspended，asitwere，bymemoryofatragiclove。Andhethought：’IfIhadmetyouwhenIwasyoungI——Imighthavemadeafoolofmyself，perhaps。’Andalongingtoescapeingeneralitiesbesethim。”Love’saqueerthing，”hesaid，”fatalthingoften。ItwastheGreeks——wasn’tit?——madeloveintoagoddess；theywereright，I

daresay，butthentheylivedintheGoldenAge。””Philadoredthem。”

Phil！Thewordjarredhim，forsuddenly——withhispowertoseeallroundathing，heperceivedwhyshewasputtingupwithhimlikethis。Shewantedtotalkaboutherlover！Well！Ifitwasanypleasuretoher！Andhesaid：”Ah！Therewasabitofthesculptorinhim，Ifancy。””Yes。Helovedbalanceandsymmetry；helovedthewhole-heartedwaytheGreeksgavethemselvestoart。”

Balance！Thechaphadnobalanceatall，ifheremembered；asforsymmetry——clean-builtenoughhewas，nodoubt；butthosequeereyesofhis，andhighcheek-bones——Symmetry?”You’reoftheGoldenAge，too，UncleJolyon。

OldJolyonlookedroundather。Wasshechaffinghim?No，hereyesweresoftasvelvet。Wassheflatteringhim?Butifso，why?

Therewasnothingtobehadoutofanoldchaplikehim。”Philthoughtso。Heusedtosay：’ButIcannevertellhimthatI

admirehim。”’

Ah！Thereitwasagain。Herdeadlover；herdesiretotalkofhim！

Andhepressedherarm，halfresentfulofthosememories，halfgrateful，asifherecognisedwhatalinktheywerebetweenherselfandhim。”Hewasaverytalentedyoungfellow，”hemurmured。”It’shot；I

feeltheheatnowadays。Let’ssitdown。”

Theytooktwochairsbeneathachestnuttreewhosebroadleavescoveredthemfromthepeacefulgloryoftheafternoon。Apleasuretositthereandwatchher，andfeelthatshelikedtobewithhim。

Andthewishtoincreasethatliking，ifhecould，madehimgoon：”IexpectheshowedyouasideofhimIneversaw。He’dbeathisbestwithyou。Hisideasofartwerealittlenew——tome”——hehadstiffedtheword’fangled。’”Yes：butheusedtosayyouhadarealsenseofbeauty。”OldJolyonthought：’Thedevilhedid！’butansweredwithatwinkle：”Well，Ihave，orIshouldn’tbesittingherewithyou。”Shewasfascinatingwhenshesmiledwithhereyes，likethat！”Hethoughtyouhadoneofthoseheartsthatnevergrowold。Philhadrealinsight。”

Hewasnottakeninbythisflatteryspokenoutofthepast，outofalongingtotalkofherdeadlover——notabit；andyetitwasprecioustohear，becauseshepleasedhiseyesandheartwhichquitetrue！——hadnevergrownold。Wasthatbecause——unlikeherandherdeadlover，hehadneverlovedtodesperation，hadalwayskepthisbalance，hissenseofsymmetry。Well！Ithadlefthimpower，ateighty-four，toadmirebeauty。Andhethought，’IfIwereapainterorasculptor！ButI’manoldchap。Makehaywhilethesunshines。’

Acouplewitharmsentwinedcrossedonthegrassbeforethem，attheedgeoftheshadowfromtheirtree。Thesunlightfellcruellyontheirpale，squashed，unkemptyoungfaces。”We’reanuglylot！”

saidoldJolyonsuddenly。”Itamazesmetoseehow——lovetriumphsoverthat。””Lovetriumphsovereverything！””Theyoungthinkso，”hemuttered。”Lovehasnoage，nolimit；andnodeath。”