第59章

sighedandstarvedafterherandcouldn’trestaminuteuntilsheyielded——no！IfyoumeandoIadmireheryouthandprettiness，domysensesachealittlewhenIseehermovingabout——yes！DoI

thinkshewillkeepmestraight，makemeacreditablewifeandagoodmotherformychildren?——again，yes！””WhatmoredoIneed?andwhatmoredothree-quartersofthewomenwhoaremarriedgetfromthemenwhomarrythem?”Andiftheenquirerhadpursuedhisquery，”Anddoyouthinkitwasfairtohavetemptedthisgirltogiveherselftoyouforlifeunlessyouhavereallytouchedherheart?”hewouldhaveanswered：”TheFrenchseethesethingsdifferentlyfromus。Theylookatmarriagefromthepointofviewofestablishmentsandchildren；and，frommyownexperience，Iamnotatallsurethattheirsisnotthesensibleview。IshallnotexpectthistimemorethanIcanget，orshecangive。YearshenceIshouldn’tbesurprisedifIhavetroublewithher；butIshallbegettingold，Ishallhavechildrenbythen。I

shallshutmyeyes。Ihavehadmygreatpassion；hersisperhapstocome——Idon’tsupposeitwillbeforme。Iofferheragreatdeal，andIdon’texpectmuchinreturn，exceptchildren，oratleastason。ButonethingIamsureof——shehasverygoodsense！”

Andif，insatiate，theenquirerhadgoneon，”Youdonotlook，then，forspiritualunioninthismarriage?”Soameswouldhaveliftedhissidewaysmile，andrejoined：”That’sasitmaybe。IfI

getsatisfactionformysenses，perpetuationofmyself；goodtasteandgoodhumourinthehouse；itisallIcanexpectatmyage。I

amnotlikelytobegoingoutofmywaytowardsanyfar-fetchedsentimentalism。”Whereon，theenquirermustingoodtastehaveceasedenquiry。

TheQueenwasdead，andtheairofthegreatestcityuponearthgreywithunshedtears。Fur-coatedandtop-hatted，withAnnettebesidehimindarkfurs，SoamescrossedParkLaneonthemorningofthefuneralprocession，totherailsinHydePark。Littlemovedthoughheeverwasbypublicmatters，thisevent，supremelysymbolical，thissumming-upofalongrichperiod，impressedhisfancy。In’37，whenshecametothethrone，’SuperiorDosset’wasstillbuildinghousestomakeLondonhideous；andJames，astriplingoftwenty-six，justlayingthefoundationsofhispracticeintheLaw。Coachesstillran；menworestocks，shavedtheirupperlips，ateoystersoutofbarrels；’tigers’swungbehindcabriolets；womensaid，’La！’andownednoproperty；thereweremannersintheland，andpigstiesforthepoor；unhappydevilswerehangedforlittlecrimes，andDickenshadbutjustbeguntowrite。

Well-nightwogenerationshadslippedby——ofsteamboats，railways，telegraphs，bicycles，electriclight，telephones，andnowthesemotorcars——ofsuchaccumulatedwealth，thateightpercent。hadbecomethree，andForsyteswerenumberedbythethousand！Moralshadchanged，mannershadchanged，menhadbecomemonkeystwice-

removed，GodhadbecomeMammon——Mammonsorespectableastodeceivehimself：Sixty-fouryearsthatfavouredproperty，andhadmadetheuppermiddleclass；buttressed，chiselled，polishedit，tillitwasalmostindistinguishableinmanners，morals，speech，appearance，habit，andsoulfromthenobility。Anepochwhichhadgildedindividuallibertysothatifamanhadmoney，hewasfreeinlawandfact，andifhehadnotmoneyhewasfreeinlawandnotinfact。Anerawhichhadcanonisedhypocrisy，sothattoseemtoberespectablewastobe。AgreatAge，whosetransmutinginfluencenothinghadescapedsavethenatureofmanandthenatureoftheUniverse。

AndtowitnessthepassingofthisAge，London——itspetandfancy——

waspouringforthhercitizensthrougheverygateintoHydePark，hubofVictorianism，happyhunting-groundofForsytes。Underthegreyheavens，whosedrizzlejustkeptoff，thedarkconcoursegatheredtoseetheshow。The’goodold’Queen，fullofyearsandvirtue，hademergedfromherseclusionforthelasttimetomakeaLondonholiday。FromHoundsditch，Acton，Ealing，Hampstead，Islington，andBethnalGr

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