Withthatglowinherpaleface，herbreastheaving，hereyessolargeanddarkandsoft，shelookedlikeVenuscometolife！Butthisextravagancebroughtinstantreaction，and，twinkling，hesaid：”Well，ifithadlimits，weshouldn’tbeborn；forbyGeorge！
it’sgotalottoputupwith。”
Then，removinghistophat，hebrusheditroundwithacuff。Thegreatclumsythingheatedhisforehead；inthesedaysheoftengotarushofbloodtothehead——hiscirculationwasnotwhatithadbeen。
Shestillsatgazingstraightbeforeher，andsuddenlyshemurmured：”It’sstrangeenoughthatI’malive。”
ThosewordsofJo’s’Wildandlost’camebacktohim。”Ah！”hesaid：”mysonsawyouforamoment——thatday。””Wasityourson?Iheardavoiceinthehall；Ithoughtforaseconditwas——Phil。”
OldJolyonsawherlipstremble。Sheputherhandoverthem，tookitawayagain，andwentoncalmly：”ThatnightIwenttotheEmbankment；awomancaughtmebythedress。Shetoldmeaboutherself。Whenoneknowsthatotherssuffer，one’sashamed。””Oneofthose?”
Shenodded，andhorrorstirredwithinoldJolyon，thehorrorofonewhohasneverknownastrugglewithdesperation。Almostagainsthiswillhemuttered：”Tellme，won’tyou?””Ididn’tcarewhetherIlivedordied。Whenyou’relikethat，Fateceasestowanttokillyou。Shetookcareofmethreedays——
sheneverleftme。Ihadnomoney。That’swhyIdowhatIcanforthem，now。”
ButoldJolyonwasthinking：’Nomoney！’Whatfatecouldcomparewiththat?Everyotherwasinvolvedinit。”Iwishyouhadcometome，”hesaid。”Whydidn’tyou?”ButIrenedidnotanswer。”BecausemynamewasForsyte，Isuppose?OrwasitJunewhokeptyouaway?Howareyougettingonnow?”Hiseyesinvoluntarilysweptherbody。Perhapsevennowshewas——！Andyetshewasn’tthin——notreally！”Oh！withmyfiftypoundsayear，Imakejustenough。”Theanswerdidnotreassurehim；hehadlostconfidence。AndthatfellowSoames！Buthissenseofjusticestifledcondemnation。No，shewouldcertainlyhavediedratherthantakeanotherpennyfromhim。
Softasshelooked，theremustbestrengthinhersomewhere——
strengthandfidelity。ButwhatbusinesshadyoungBosinneytohavegotrunoverandleftherstrandedlikethis！”Well，youmustcometomenow，”hesaid，”foranythingyouwant，orIshallbequitecutup。”Andputtingonhishat，herose。”Let’sgoandgetsometea。Itoldthatlazychaptoputthehorsesupforanhour，andcomeformeatyourplace。We’lltakeacabpresently；Ican’twalkasIusedto。”
HeenjoyedthatstrolltotheKensingtonendofthegardens——thesoundofhervoice，theglancingofhereyes，thesubtlebeautyofacharmingformmovingbesidehim。HeenjoyedtheirteaatRuffel’sintheHighStreet，andcameoutthencewithagreatboxofchocolatesswungonhislittlefinger。HeenjoyedthedrivebacktoChelseainahansom，smokinghiscigar。ShehadpromisedtocomedownnextSundayandplaytohimagain，andalreadyinthoughthewaspluckingcarnationsandearlyrosesforhertocarrybacktotown。Itwasapleasuretogiveheralittlepleasure，ifitWEREpleasurefromanoldchaplikehim！Thecarriagewasalreadytherewhentheyarrived。Justlikethatfellow，whowasalwayslatewhenhewaswanted！OldJolyonwentinforaminutetosaygood-bye。Thelittledarkhallofthefiatwasimpregnatedwithadisagreeableodourofpatchouli，andonabenchagainstthewall——itsonlyfurniture——hesawafiguresitting。HeheardIrenesaysoftly：”Justoneminute。”Inthelittledrawing-roomwhenthedoorwasshut，heaskedgravely：”Oneofyourprotegees?””Yes。Nowthankstoyou，Icandosomethingforher。”
Hestood，staring，andstrokingthatchinwhosestrengthhadfrightenedsomanyinitstime。Theideaofherthusactuallyincontactwiththisoutcast，grievedandfrightenedhim。Whatcouldshedoforthem?Nothing。Onlysoilandmaketroubleforherself，perhaps。Andhesaid：”Takecare，mydear！Theworldputstheworstconstructiononeverything。””Iknowthat。”
Hewasabashedbyherquietsmile。”Wellthen——Sunday，”hemurmured：”Good-bye。”
Sheputhercheekforwardforhimtokiss。”Good-bye，”hesaidagain；”takecareofyourself。”Andhewentout，notlookingtowardsthefigureonthebench。HedrovehomebywayofHammersmith；thathemightstopataplaceheknewofandtellthemtosendherintwodozenoftheirbestBurgundy。Shemustwantpicking-upsometimes！OnlyinRichmondParkdidherememberthathehadgoneuptoorderhimselfsomeboots，andwassurprisedthathecouldhavehadsopaltryanidea。
III
Thelittlespiritsofthepastwhichthronganoldman’sdayshadneverpushedtheirfacesuptohissoseldomasintheseventyhourselapsingbeforeSundaycame。Thespiritofthefuture，withthecharmoftheunknown，putupherlipsinstead。OldJolyonwasnotrestlessnow，andpaidnovisitstothelog，becauseshewascomingtolunch。Thereiswonderfulfinalityaboutameal；itremovesaworldofdoubts，fornoonemissesmealsexceptforreasonsbeyondcontrol。HeplayedmanygameswithHollyonthelawn，pitchingthemuptoherwhowasbattingsoastobereadytobowltoJollyintheholidays。ForshewasnotaForsyte，butJollywas——andForsytesalwaysbat，untiltheyhaveresignedandreachedtheageofeighty-five。ThedogBalthasar，inattendance，layontheballasoftenashecould，andthepage-boyfielded，tillhisfacewasliketheharvestmoon。Andbecausethetimewasgettingshorter，eachdaywaslongerandmoregoldenthanthelast。
OnFridaynighthetookaliverpill，hissidehurthimrather，andthoughitwasnottheliverside，thereisnoremedylikethat。
Anyonetellinghimthathehadfoundanewexcitementinlifeandthatexcitementwasnotgoodforhim，wouldhavebeenmetbyoneofthosesteadyandratherdefiantlooksofhisdeep-setiron-greyeyes，whichseemedtosay：’Iknowmyownbusinessbest。’Healwayshadandalwayswould。
OnSundaymorning，whenHollyhadgonewithhergovernesstochurch，hevisitedthestrawberrybeds。There，accompaniedbythedogBalthasar，heexaminedtheplantsnarrowlyandsucceededinfindingatleasttwodozenberrieswhichwerereallyripe。
Stoopingwasnotgoodforhim，andhebecameverydizzyandredintheforehead。Havingplacedthestrawberriesinadishonthedining-table，hewashedhishandsandbathedhisforeheadwitheaudeCologne。There，beforethemirror，itoccurredtohimthathewasthinner。Whata’threadpaper’hehadbeenwhenhewasyoung！
Itwasnicetobeslim——hecouldnotbearafatchap；andyetperhapshischeeksweretoothin！Shewastoarrivebytrainathalf-pasttwelveandwalkup，enteringfromtheroadpastDrage’sfarmatthefarendofthecoppice。And，havinglookedintoJune’sroomtoseethattherewashotwaterready，hesetforthtomeether，leisurely，forhisheartwasbeating。Theairsmelledsweet，larkssang，andtheGrandStandatEpsomwasvisible。Aperfectday！Onjustsuchaone，nodoubt，sixyearsago，SoameshadbroughtyoungBosinneydownwithhimtolookatthesitebeforetheybegantobuild。ItwasBosinneywhohadpitchedontheexactspotforthehouse——asJunehadoftentoldhim。Inthesedayshewasthinkingmuchaboutthatyoungfellow，asifhisspiritwerereallyhauntingthefieldofhislastwork，onthechanceofseeing——her。Bosinney——theonemanwhohadpossessedherheart，towhomshehadgivenherwholeselfwithrapture！Athisageonecouldnot，ofcourse，imaginesuchthings，buttherestirredinhimaqueervagueaching——asitweretheghostofanimpersonaljealousy；andafeeling，too，moregenerous，ofpityforthatlovesoearlylost。Alloverinafewpoormonths！Well，well！Helookedathiswatchbeforeenteringthecoppice——onlyaquarterpast，twenty-fiveminutestowait！Andthen，turningthecornerofthepath，hesawherexactlywherehehadseenherthefirsttime，onthelog；andrealisedthatshemusthavecomebytheearliertraintosittherealoneforacoupleofhoursatleast。Twohoursofhersocietymissed！Whatmemorycouldmakethatlogsodeartoher?Hisfaceshowedwhathewasthinking，forshesaidatonce：”Forgiveme，UncleJolyon；itwasherethatIfirstknew。””Yes，yes；thereitisforyouwheneveryoulike。You’relookingalittleLondony；you’regivingtoomanylessons。”
Thatsheshouldhavetogivelessonsworriedhim。Lessonstoaparcelofyounggirlsthumpingoutscaleswiththeirthickfingers。”Wheredoyougotogivethem?”heasked。”They’remostlyJewishfamilies，luckily。”
OldJolyonstared；toallForsytesJewsseemstrangeanddoubtful。”Theylovemusic，andthey’reverykind。””Theyhadbetterbe，byGeorge！”Hetookherarm——hissidealwayshurthimalittlegoinguphill——andsaid：”Didyoueverseeanythinglikethosebuttercups?Theycamelikethatinanight。”
Hereyesseemedreallytoflyoverthefield，likebeesaftertheflowersandthehoney。”Iwantedyoutoseethem——wouldn’tletthemturnthecowsinyet。”Then，rememberingthatshehadcometotalkaboutBosinney，hepointedtotheclock-toweroverthestables：”Iexpectbewouldn’thaveletmeputthatthere——hadnonotionoftime，ifIremember。”
But，pressinghisarmtoher，shetalkedofflowersinstead，andheknewitwasdonethathemightnotfeelshecamebecauseofherdeadlover。