第13章

Winifred，whohadlearnedself-containmentinahardschool，lookedupathim，andsaid：”Spanishfilly！DoyoumeanthatgirlwesawdancinginthePandemoniumBallet?Well，youareathiefandablackguard。”Ithadbeenthelaststrawonasorelyloadedconsciousness；reachingupfromhischairDartieseizedhiswife’sarm，andrecallingtheachievementsofhisboyhood，twistedit。

Winifredenduredtheagonywithtearsinhereyes，butnomurmur。

Watchingforamomentofweakness，shewrencheditfree；thenplacingthediningtablebetweenthem，saidbetweenherteeth：”Youarethelimit，Monty。”(Undoubtedlytheinceptionofthatphrase——

soisEnglishformedunderthestressofcircumstances。)LeavingDartiewithfoamonhisdarkmoustacheshewentupstairs，and，afterlockingherdoorandbathingherarminhotwater，layawakeallnight，thinkingofherpearlsadorningtheneckofanother，andoftheconsiderationherhusbandhadpresumablyreceivedtherefor。

Themanoftheworldawokewithasenseofbeinglosttothatworld，andadimrecollectionofhavingbeencalleda’limit。’Hesatforhalfanhourinthedawnandthearmchairwherehehadsleptperhapstheunhappiesthalf-hourhehadeverspent，foreventoaDartiethereissomethingtragicaboutanend。Andheknewthathehadreachedit。Neveragainwouldhesleepinhisdining-roomandwakewiththelightfilteringthroughthosecurtainsboughtbyWinifredatNickensandJarveyswiththemoneyofJames。Neveragaineatadevilledkidneyatthatrose-woodtable，afterarollinthesheetsandahotbath。Hetookhisnotecasefromhisdresscoatpocket。Fourhundredpounds，infivesandtens——theremainderoftheproceedsofhishalfofSleeve-links，soldlastnight，cashdown，toGeorgeForsyte，who，havingwonovertherace，hadnotconceivedthesuddendisliketotheanimalwhichhehimselfnowfelt。TheballetwasgoingtoBuenosAiresthedayafterto-morrow，andhewasgoingtoo。Fullvalueforthepearlshadnotyetbeenreceived；hewasonlyatthesoup。

Hestoleupstairs。Notdaringtohaveabath，orshave(besides，thewaterwouldbecold)，hechangedhisclothesandpackedstealthilyallhecould。Itwashardtoleavesomanyshiningboots，butonemustsacrificesomething。Then，carryingavaliseineitherhand，hesteppedoutontothelanding。Thehousewasveryquiet——thathousewherehehadbegottenhisfourchildren。Itwasacuriousmoment，this，outsidetheroomofhiswife，onceadmired，ifnotperhapsloved，whohadcalledhim’thelimit。’Hesteeledhimselfwiththatphrase，andtiptoedon；butthenextdoorwashardertopass。Itwastheroomhisdaughterssleptin。Maudwasatschool，butImogenwouldbelyingthere；andmoisturecameintoDartie’searlymorningeyes。Shewasthemostlikehimofthefour，withherdarkhair，andherlusciousbrownglance。Justcomingout，aprettything！Hesetdownthetwovalises。Thisalmostformalabdicationoffatherhoodhurthim。Themorninglightfellonafacewhichworkedwithrealemotion。Nothingsofalseaspenitencemovedhim；butgenuinepaternalfeeling，andthatmelancholyof’neveragain。’Hemoistenedhislips；andcompleteirresolutionforamomentparalysedhislegsintheirchecktrousers。Itwashard——hardtobethuscompelledtoleavehishome！”D——nit！”hemuttered，”Ineverthoughtitwouldcometothis。”Noisesabovewarnedhimthatthemaidswerebeginningtogetup。Andgraspingthetwovalises，hetiptoedondownstairs。

Hischeekswerewet，andtheknowledgeofthatwascomforting，asthoughitguaranteedthegenuinenessofhissacrifice。Helingeredalittleintheroomsbelow，topackallthecigarshehad，somepapers，acrushhat，asilvercigarettebox，aRuff’sGuide。Then，mixinghimselfastiffwhiskyandsoda，andlightingacigarette，hestoodhesitatingbeforeaphotographofhistwogirls，inasilverframe。ItbelongedtoWinifred。’Nevermind，’hethought；

’shecangetanothertaken，andIcan’t！’Heslippeditintothevalise。Then；puttingonhishatandovercoat，hetooktwoothers，hisbestmalaccacane，anumbrella，andopenedthefrontdoor。

Closingitsoftlybehindhim，hewalkedout，burdenedashehadneverbeeninallhislife，andmadehiswayroundthecornertowaitthereforanearlycabtocomeby。

ThushadpassedMontagueDartieintheforty-fifthyearofhisagefromthehousewhichhehadcalledhisown。

WhenWinifredcamedown，andrealisedthathewasnotinthehouse，herfirstfeelingwasoneofdullangerthatheshouldthuseludethereproachesshehadcarefullypreparedinthoselongwakefulhours。HehadgoneofftoNewmarketorBrighton，withthatwomanaslikelyasnot。Disgusting！ForcedtoacompletereticencebeforeImogenandtheservants，andawarethatherfather’snerveswouldneverstandthedisclosure，shehadbeenunabletorefrainfromgoingtoTimothy’sthatafternoon，andpouringoutthestoryofthepearlstoAuntsJuleyandHesterinutterconfidence。Itwasonlyonthefollowingmorningthatshenoticedthedisappearanceofthatphotograph。Whatdiditmean?Carefulexaminationofherhusband’srelicspromptedthethoughtthathehadgoneforgood。Asthatconclusionhardenedshestoodquitestillinthemiddleofhisdressing-room，withallthedrawerspulledout，totryandrealisewhatshewasfeeling。Bynomeanseasy！Thoughhewas’thelimit’hewasyetherproperty，andforthelifeofhershecouldnotbutfeelthepoorer。Tobewidowedyetnotwidowedatforty-two；withfourchildren；madeconspicuous，anobjectofcommiseration！GonetothearmsofaSpanishJade！

Memories，feelings，whichshehadthoughtquitedead，revivedwithinher，painful，sullen，tenacious。Mechanicallyshecloseddrawerafterdrawer，wenttoherbed，layonit，andburiedherfaceinthepillows。Shedidnotcry。Whatwastheuseofthat?

Whenshegotoffherbedtogodowntolunchshefeltasifonlyonethingcoulddohergood，andthatwastohaveValhome。He——

hereldestboy——whowastogotoOxfordnextmonthatJames’

expense，wasatLittlehamptontakinghisfinalgallopswithhistrainerforSmalls，ashewouldhavephraseditfollowinghisfather’sdiction。Shecausedatelegramtobesenttohim。”Imustseeabouthisclothes，”shesaidtoImogen；”Ican’thavehimgoinguptoOxfordallanyhow。Thoseboysaresoparticular。””Val’sgotheapsofthings，”Imogenanswered。”Iknow；buttheywantoverhauling。Ihopehe’llcome。””He’llcomelikeashot，Mother。Buthe’llprobablyskewhisExam。””Ican’thelpthat，”saidWinifred。”Iwanthim。”

Withaninnocentshrewdlookathermother’sface，Imogenkeptsilence。Itwasfather，ofcourse！Valdidcome’likeashot’atsixo’clock。

ImagineacrossbetweenapickleandaForsyteandyouhaveyoungPubliusValeriusDartie。Ayouthsonamedcouldhardlyturnoutotherwise。Whenhewasborn，Winifred，intheheydayofspirits，andthecravingfordistinction，haddeterminedthatherchildrenshouldhavenamessuchasnoothershadeverhad。(Itwasamercy——

shefeltnow——thatshehadjustnotnamedImogenThisbe。)ButitwastoGeorgeForsyte，alwaysawag，thatVal’schristeningwasdue。ItsohappenedthatDartiediningwithhim，aweekafterthebirthofhissonandheir，hadmentionedthisaspirationofWinifred’s。”CallhimCato，”saidGeorge，”it’llbedamnedpiquant！”Hehadjustwonatenneronahorseofthatname。”Cato！”Dartiehadreplied——theywerealittle’on’asthephrasewaseveninthosedays——”it’snotaChristianname。””Haloyou！”Georgecalledtoawaiterinkneebreeches。”BringmetheEncyc’pediaBrit。fromtheLibrary，letterC。”

Thewaiterbroughtit。”Hereyouare！”saidGeorge，pointingwithhiscigar：”CatoPubliusValeriusbyVirgiloutofLydia。That’swhatyouwant。PubliusValeriusisChristianenough。”

Dartie，onarrivinghome，hadinformedWinifred。Shehadbeencharmed。Itwasso’chic。’AndPubliusValeriusbecamethebaby’sname，thoughitafterwardstranspiredthattheyhadgotholdoftheinferiorCato。In1890，however，whenlittlePubliuswasnearlyten，theword’chic’wentoutoffashion，andsobrietycamein；

Winifredbegantohavedoubts。TheywereconfirmedbylittlePubliushimselfwhoreturnedfromhisfirsttermatschoolcom-

plainingthatlifewasaburdentohim——theycalledhimPubby。

Winifred——awomanofrealdecision——promptlychangedhisschoolandhisnametoVal，thePubliusbeingdroppedevenasaninitial。

Atnineteenhewasalimber，freckledyouthwithawidemouth，lighteyes，longdarklashes；arathercharmingsmile，considerableknowledgeofwhatheshouldnotknow，andnoexperienceofwhatheoughttodo。Fewboyshadmorenarrowlyescapedbeingexpelled——

theengagingrascal。AfterkissinghismotherandpinchingImogen，heranupstairsthreeatatime，andcamedownfour，dressedfordinner。Hewas，awfullysorry，buthis’trainer，’whohadcomeuptoo，hadaskedhimtodineattheOxfordandCambridge；itwouldn’tdotomiss——theoldchapwouldbehurt。Winifredlethimgowithanunhappypride。Shehadwantedhimathome，butitwasverynicetoknowthathistutorwassofondofhim。HewentoutwithawinkatImogen，saying：”Isay，Mother，couldIhavetwoplover’seggswhenIcomein?——cook’sgotsome。Theytopupsojollywell。Oh！

andlookhere——haveyouanymoney?——IhadtoborrowafiverfromoldSnobby。”

Winifredlookingathimwithfondshrewdness，answered：”Mydear，youarenaughtyaboutmoney。Butyoushouldn’tpayhimto-night，anyway；you’rehisguest。”Howniceandslimhelookedinhiswhitewaistcoat，andhisdarkthicklashes！”Oh，butwemaygotothetheatre，yousee，Mother；andIthinkI

oughttostandthetickets；he’salwayshardup，youknow。”

Winifredproducedafive-poundnote，saying：”Well，perhapsyou’dbetterpayhim，butyoumustn’tstandtheticketstoo。”

Valpocketedthefiver。”IfIdo，Ican’t，”hesaid。”Good-night，Mum！”