allthathadmadethatwealth；goingtoleaveher，too，apartofallhehadmissedinlife，byhissaneandsteadypursuitofwealth。All！Whathadhemissed?’DutchFishingBoats’respondedblankly；hecrossedtotheFrenchwindow，anddrawingthecurtainaside，openedit。Awindhadgotup，andoneoflastyear’soakleaveswhichhadsomehowsurvivedthegardener’sbrooms，wasdraggingitselfwithatinyclickingrustlealongthestoneterraceinthetwilight。Exceptforthatitwasveryquietoutthere，andhecouldsmelltheheliotropewaterednotlongsince。Abatwentby。Abirduttereditslast’cheep。’Andrightabovetheoaktreethefirststarshone。Faustintheoperahadbarteredhissoulforsomefreshyearsofyouth。Morbidnotion！Nosuchbargainwaspossible，thatwasrealtragedy！Nomakingoneselfnewagainforloveorlifeoranything。Nothinglefttodobutenjoybeautyfromafaroffwhileyoucould，andleaveitsomethinginyourWill。Buthowmuch?And，asifhecouldnotmakethatcalculationlookingoutintothemildfreedomofthecountrynight，heturnedbackandwentuptothechimney-piece。Therewerehispetbronzes——aCleopatrawiththeaspatherbreast；aSocrates；agreyhoundplayingwithherpuppy；astrongmanreininginsomehorses。’Theylast！’hethought，andapangwentthroughhisheart。Theyhadathousandyearsoflifebeforethem！
’Howmuch?’Well！enoughatalleventstosavehergettingoldbeforehertime，tokeepthelinesoutofherfaceaslongaspossible，andgreyfromsoilingthatbrighthair。Hemightliveanotherfiveyears。Shewouldbewelloverthirtybythen。’Howmuch?’Shehadnoneofhisbloodinher！Inloyaltytothetenorofhislifeforfortyyearsandmore，eversincehemarriedandfoundedthatmysteriousthing，afamily，camethiswarningthought——
Noneofhisblood，norighttoanything！Itwasaluxurythen，thisnotion。Anextravagance，apettingofanoldman’swhim，oneofthosethingsdoneindotage。Hisrealfuturewasvestedinthosewhohadhisblood，inwhomhewouldliveonwhenhewasgone。
Heturnedawayfromthebronzesandstoodlookingattheoldleatherchairinwhichhehadsatandsmokedsomanyhundredsofcigars。Andsuddenlyheseemedtoseehersittingthereinhergreydress，fragrant，soft，dark-eyed，graceful，lookingupathim。
Why！Shecarednothingforhim，really；allshecaredforwasthatlostloverofhers。Butshewasthere，whethershewouldorno，givinghimpleasurewithherbeautyandgrace。Onehadnorighttoinflictanoldman’scompany，norighttoaskherdowntoplaytohimandlethimlookather——fornoreward！Pleasuremustbepaidforinthisworld。’Howmuch?’Afterall，therewasplenty；hissonandhisthreegrandchildrenwouldnevermissthatlittlelump。
Hehadmadeithimself，nearlyeverypenny；hecouldleaveitwhereheliked，allowhimselfthislittlepleasure。Hewentbacktothebureau。’Well，I’mgoingto，’hethought，’letthemthinkwhattheylike。I’mgoingto！’Andhesatdown。
’Howmuch?’Tenthousand，twentythousand——howmuch?Ifonlywithhismoneyhecouldbuyoneyear，onemonthofyouth。Andstartledbythatthought，hewrotequickly：
’DEARHERRING，——Drawmeacodiciltothiseffect：”IleavetomynieceIreneForsyte，bornIreneHeron，bywhichnameshenowgoes，fifteenthousandpoundsfreeoflegacyduty。”
’Yoursfaithfully，’JOLYONFORSYTE。’
Whenhehadsealedandstampedtheenvelope，hewentbacktothewindowanddrewinalongbreath。Itwasdark，butmanystarsshonenow。
IV
Hewokeathalf-pasttwo，anhourwhichlongexperiencehadtaughthimbringspanicintensitytoallawkwardthoughts。Experiencehadalsotaughthimthatafurtherwakingattheproperhourofeightshowedthefollyofsuchpanic。Onthisparticularmorningthethoughtwhichgatheredrapidmomentumwasthatifhebecameill，athisagenotimprobable，hewouldnotseeher。Fromthisitwasbutasteptorealisationthathewouldbecutoff，too，whenhissonandJunereturnedfromSpain。Howcouldhejustifydesireforthecompanyofonewhohadstolen——earlymorningdoesnotmincewords——
June’slover?Thatloverwasdead；butJunewasastubbornlittlething；warm-hearted，butstubbornaswood，and——quitetrue——notonewhoforgot！Bythemiddleofnextmonththeywouldbeback。Hehadbarelyfiveweekslefttoenjoythenewinterestwhichhadcomeintowhatremainedofhislife。Darknessshoweduptohimabsurdlyclearthenatureofhisfeeling。Admirationforbeauty——acravingtoseethatwhichdelightedhiseyes。
Preposterous，athisage！Andyet——whatotherreasonwasthereforaskingJunetoundergosuchpainfulreminder，andhowpreventhissonandhisson’swifefromthinkinghimveryqueer?HewouldbereducedtosneakinguptoLondon，whichtiredhim；andtheleastindispositionwouldcuthimoffevenfromthat。Helaywitheyesopen，settinghisjawagainsttheprospect，andcallinghimselfanoldfool，whilehisheartbeatloudly，andthenseemedtostopbeatingaltogether。Hehadseenthedawnlightingthewindowchinks，heardthebirdschirpandtwitter，andthecockscrow，beforehefellasleepagain，andawoketiredbutsane。Fiveweeksbeforeheneedbother，athisageaneternity！Butthatearlymorningpanichadleftitsmark，hadslightlyfeveredthewillofonewhohadalwayshadhisownway。Hewouldseeherasoftenashewished！Whynotgouptotownandmakethatcodicilathissolicitor’sinsteadofwritingaboutit；shemightliketogototheopera！But，bytrain，forhewouldnothavethatfatchapBeacongrinningbehindhisback。Servantsweresuchfools；and，aslikelyasnot，theyhadknownallthepasthistoryofIreneandyoungBosinney——servantskneweverything，andsuspectedtherest。
Hewrotetoherthatmorning：”MYDEARIRENE，——Ihavetobeupintownto-morrow。Ifyouwouldliketohavealookinattheopera，comeanddinewithmequietly……”
Butwhere?ItwasdecadessincehehaddinedanywhereinLondonsaveathisCluborataprivatehouse。Ah！thatnew-fangledplaceclosetoCoventGarden……”Letmehavealineto-morrowmorningtothePiedmontHotelwhethertoexpectyouthereat7o’clock。””Yoursaffectionately，”JOLYONFORSYTE。”
Shewouldunderstandthathejustwantedtogiveheralittlepleasure；fortheideathatsheshouldguesshehadthisitchtoseeherwasinstinctivelyunpleasanttohim；itwasnotseemlythatonesooldshouldgooutofhiswaytoseebeauty，especiallyinawoman。
Thejourneynextday，shortthoughitwas，andthevisittohislawyer’s，tiredhim。Itwashottoo，andafterdressingfordinnerhelaydownonthesofainhisbedroomtorestalittle。Hemusthavehadasortoffaintingfit，forhecametohimselffeelingveryqueer；andwithsomedifficultyroseandrangthebell。Why！
itwaspastseven！Andtherehewasandshewouldbewaiting。Butsuddenlythedizzinesscameonagain，andhewasobligedtorelapseonthesofa。Heheardthemaid’svoicesay：”Didyouring，sir?””Yes，comehere”；hecouldnotseeherclearly，forthecloudinfrontofhiseyes。”I’mnotwell，Iwantsomesalvolatile。””Yes，sir。”Hervoicesoundedfrightened。
OldJolyonmadeaneffort。”Don’tgo。Takethismessagetomyniece——aladywaitinginthehall——aladyingrey。SayMr。Forsyteisnotwell——theheat。Heisverysorry；ifheisnotdowndirectly，sheisnottowaitdinner。”
Whenshewasgone，hethoughtfeebly：’WhydidIsayaladyingrey——shemaybeinanything。Salvolatile！’Hedidnotgooffagain，yetwasnotconsciousofhowIrenecametobestandingbesidehim，holdingsmellingsaltstohisnose，andpushingapillowupbehindhishead。Heheardhersayanxiously：”DearUncleJolyon，whatisit?”wasdimlyconsciousofthesoftpressureofherlipsonhishand；thendrewalongbreathofsmellingsalts，suddenlydiscoveredstrengthinthem，andsneezed。”Ha！”hesaid，”it’snothing。Howdidyougethere?Godownanddine——theticketsareonthedressing-table。Ishallbeallrightinaminute。”
Hefelthercoolhandonhisforehead，smelledviolets，andsatdividedbetweenasortofpleasureandadeterminationtobeallright。”Why！Youareingrey！”hesaid。”Helpmeup。”Onceonhisfeethegavehimselfashake。”WhatbusinesshadItogoofflikethat！”Andhemovedveryslowlytotheglass。Whatacadaverouschap！Hervoice，behindhim，murmured：”Youmustn’tcomedown，Uncle；youmustrest。””Fiddlesticks！Aglassofchampagne’llsoonsetmetorights。I
can’thaveyoumissingtheopera。”
Butthejourneydownthecorridorwastroublesome。Whatcarpetstheyhadinthesenewfangledplaces，sothickthatyoutrippedupinthemateverystep！Inthelifthenoticedhowconcernedshelooked，andsaidwiththeghostofatwinkle：”I’maprettyhost。”
Whentheliftstoppedhehadtoholdfirmlytotheseattopreventitsslippingunderhim；butaftersoupandaglassofchampagnehefeltmuchbetter，andbegantoenjoyaninfirmitywhichhadbroughtsuchsolicitudeintohermannertowardshim。”Ishouldhavelikedyouforadaughter，”hesaidsuddenly；andwatchingthesmileinhereyes，wenton：”Youmustn’tgetwrappedupinthepastatyourtimeoflife；
plentyofthatwhenyougettomyage。That’sanicedress——Ilikethestyle。””Imadeitmyself。”
Ah！Awomanwhocouldmakeherselfaprettyfrockhadnotlostherinterestinlife。”Makehaywhilethesunshines，”hesaid；”anddrinkthatup。I
wanttoseesomecolourinyourcheeks。Wemustn’twastelife；itdoesn’tdo。There’sanewMargueriteto-night；let’shopeshewon’tbefat。AndMephisto——anythingmoredreadfulthanafatchapplayingtheDevilIcan’timagine。”