第64章

Allthatdayandthenexthehardlyutteredaword，buttherewasinhiseyesanoticingofeverythingdoneforhim，alookonhisfacewhichtoldherhewasfighting；andshedidnotlosehope。

Hisverystillness，thewayheconservedeverylittlescrapofenergy，showedthetenacitywithwhichhewasfighting。Ittouchedherdeeply；andthoughherfacewascomposedandcomfortableinthesick-room，tearsrandownhercheekswhenshewasoutofit。

Abouttea-timeonthethirdday——shehadjustchangedherdress，keepingherappearancesoasnottoalarmhim，becausehenoticedeverything——shesawadifference。’It’snouse；I’mtired，’waswrittenplainlyacrossthatwhiteface，andwhenshewentuptohim，hemuttered：”SendforSoames。””Yes，James，”shesaidcomfortably；”allright——atonce。”Andshekissedhisforehead。Ateardroppedthere，andasshewipeditoffshesawthathiseyeslookedgrateful。Muchupset，andwithouthopenow，shesentSoamesthetelegram。

Whenheenteredoutoftheblackwindynight，thebighousewasstillasagrave。Warmson’sbroadfacelookedalmostnarrow；hetookthefurcoatwithasortofaddedcare，saying：”Willyouhaveaglassofwine，sir?”

Soamesshookhishead，andhiseyebrowsmadeenquiry。

Warmson’slipstwitched。”He’saskingforyou，sir；”andsuddenlyheblewhisnose。”It’salongtime，sir，”hesaid，”thatI’vebeenwithMr。Forsyte——alongtime。”

Soameslefthimfoldingthecoat，andbegantomountthestairs。

Thishouse，wherehehadbeenbornandsheltered，hadneverseemedtohimsowarm，andrich，andcosy，asduringthislastpilgrimagetohisfather’sroom。Itwasnothistaste；butinitsownsub-

stantial，lincrustawayitwastheacmeofcomfortandsecurity。

Andthenightwassodarkandwindy；thegravesocoldandlonelyHepausedoutsidethedoor。Nosoundcamefromwithin。Heturnedthehandlesoftlyandwasintheroombeforehewasperceived。Thelightwasshaded。HismotherandWinifredweresittingonthefarsideofthebed；thenursewasmovingawayfromthenearsidewherewasanemptychair。’Forme！’thoughtSoames。Ashemovedfromthedoorhismotherandsisterrose，buthesignedwithhishandandtheysatdownagain。Hewentuptothechairandstoodlookingathisfather。James’breathingwasasifstrangled；hiseyeswereclosed。AndinSoames，lookingonhisfathersowornandwhiteandwasted，listeningtohisstrangledbreathing，thereroseapassionatevehemenceofangeragainstNature，cruel，inexorableNature，kneelingonthechestofthatwispofabody，slowlypressingoutthebreath，pressingoutthelifeofthebeingwhowasdearesttohimintheworld。Hisfather，ofallmen，hadlivedacarefullife，moderate，abstemious，andthiswashisreward——tohavelifeslowly，painfullysqueezedoutofhim！And，withoutknowingthathespoke，hesaid：”It’scruel！”

HesawhismothercoverhereyesandWinifredbowherfacetowardsthebed。Women！Theyputupwiththingssomuch。betterthanmen。Hetookastepnearertohisfather。ForthreedaysJameshadnotbeenshaved，andhislipsandchinwerecoveredwithhair，hardlymoresnowythanhisforehead。Itsoftenedhisface，gaveitaqueerlookalreadynotofthisworld。Hiseyesopened。Soameswentquitecloseandbentover。Thelipsmoved。”HereIam，Father：””Um——what——whatnews?Theynevertell……”thevoicedied，andafloodofemotionmadeSoames’faceworksothathecouldnotspeak。

Tellhim?——yes。Butwhat?Hemadeagreateffort，gothislipstogether，andsaid：”Goodnews，dear，good——Annette，ason。””Ah！”Itwasthequeerestsound，ugly，relieved，pitiful，triumphant——likethenoiseababymakesgettingwhatitwants。Theeyesclosed，andthatstrangledsoundofbreathingbeganagain。

Soamesrecoiledtothechairandstonilysatdown。Theliehehadtold，based，asitwere，onsomedeep，temperamentalinstinctthatafterdeathJameswouldnotknowthetruth，hadtakenawayallpoweroffeelingforthemoment。Hisarmbrushedagainstsomething。Itwashisfather’snakedfoot。Inthestruggletobreathehehadpusheditoutfromundertheclothes。Soamestookitinhishand，acoldfoot，lightandthin，white，verycold。

Whatusetoputitback，towrapupthatwhichmustbecoldersoon！

Hewarmeditmechanicallywithhishand，listeningtohisfather’slabouredbreathing；whilethepoweroffeelingroseagainwithinhim。Alittlesob，quicklysmothered，camefromWinifred，buthismothersatunmovingwithhereyesfixedonJames。Soamessignedtothenurse。”Where’sthedoctor?”hewhispered。”He’sbeensentfor。””Can’tyoudoanythingtoeasehisbreathing?””Onlyaninjection；andhecan’tstandit。Thedoctorsaid，whilehewasfighting……

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