Ithadsoldwithinaweek——thatdesirableresidence，intheshadowofwhoseperfectionamanandawoman——hadeatentheirheartsout。
OfamistyJanuaryevening，justbeforetheboardwastakendown，Soameshadgonethereoncemore，andstoodagainsttheSquarerailings，lookingatitsunlightedwindows，chewingthecudofpossessivememorieswhichhadturnedsobitterinthemouth。Whyhadsheneverlovedhim?Why?Shehadbeengivenallshehadwanted，andinreturnhadgivenhim，forthreelongyears，allhehadwanted——except，indeed，herheart。Hehadutteredalittleinvoluntarygroan，andapassingpolicemanhadglancedsuspiciouslyathimwhonolongerpossessedtherighttoenterthatgreendoorwiththecarvedbrassknockerbeneaththeboard’ForSale！’A
chokingsensationhadattackedhisthroat，andhehadhurriedawayintothemist。ThateveninghehadgonetoBrightontolive……
ApproachingMaltaStreet，Soho，andtheRestaurantBretagne，whereAnnettewouldbedroopingherprettyshouldersoverheraccounts，SoamesthoughtwithwonderofthosesevenyearsatBrighton。Howhadhemanagedtogoonsolonginthattowndevoidofthescentofsweetpeas，wherehehadnotevenspacetoputhistreasures?True，thosehadbeenyearswithnotimeatallforlookingatthem——yearsofalmostpassionatemoney-making，duringwhichForsyte，BustardandForsytehadbecomesolicitorstomorelimitedCompaniesthantheycouldproperlyattendto。UptotheCityofamorninginaPullmancar，downfromtheCityofaneveninginaPullmancar。
Lawpapersagainafterdinner，thenthesleepofthetired，andupagainnextmorning。SaturdaytoMondaywasspentathisClubintown——curiousreversalofcustomaryprocedure，basedonthedeepandcarefulinstinctthatwhileworkingsohardheneededseaairtoandfromthestationtwiceaday，andwhilerestingmustindulgehisdomesticaffections。TheSundayvisittohisfamilyinParkLane，toTimothy’s，andtoGreenStreet；theoccasionalvisitselsewherehadseemedtohimasnecessarytohealthasseaaironweekdays。EvensincehismigrationtoMapledurhamhehadmain-
tainedthosehabitsuntil——hehadknownAnnette。
WhetherAnnettehadproducedtherevolutioninhisoutlook，orthatoutlookhadproducedAnnette，heknewnomorethanweknowwhereacirclebegins。ItwasintricateanddeeplyinvolvedwiththegrowingconsciousnessthatpropertywithoutanyonetoleaveittoisthenegationoftrueForsyteism。Tohaveanheir，somecontinuanceofself，whowouldbeginwhereheleftoff——ensure，infact，thathewouldnotleaveoff——hadquiteobsessedhimforthelastyearandmore。AfterbuyingabitofWedgwoodoneeveninginApril，hehaddroppedintoMaltaStreettolookatahouseofhisfather’swhichhadbeenturnedintoarestaurant——ariskypro-
ceeding，andonenotquiteinaccordancewiththetermsofthelease。Hehadstaredforalittleattheoutsidepaintedagoodcreamcolour，withtwopeacock-bluetubscontaininglittlebay-
treesinarecesseddoorway——andatthewords’RestaurantBretagne’
abovethemingoldletters，ratherfavourablyimpressed。Entering，hehadnoticedthatseveralpeoplewerealreadyseatedatlittleroundgreentableswithlittlepotsoffreshflowersonthemandBrittany-wareplates，andhadaskedofatrimwaitresstoseetheproprietor。Theyhadshownhimintoabackroom，whereagirlwassittingatasimplebureaucoveredwithpapers，andasmallround，tablewaslaidfortwo。Theimpressionofcleanliness，order，andgoodtastewasconfirmedwhenthegirlgotup，saying，”YouwishtoseeMaman，Monsieur?”inabrokenaccent。”Yes，”Soameshadanswered，”Irepresentyourlandlord；infact，I’mhisson。””Won’tyousitdown，sir，please?TellMamantocometothisgentleman。”
Hewaspleasedthatthegirlseemedimpressed，becauseitshowedbusinessinstinct；andsuddenlyhenoticedthatshewasremarkablypretty——soremarkablyprettythathiseyesfoundadifficultyinleavingherface。Whenshemovedtoputachairforhim，sheswayedinacurioussubtleway，asifshehadbeenputtogetherbysomeonewithaspecialsecretskill；andherfaceandneck，whichwasalittlebared，lookedasfreshasiftheyhadbeensprayedwithdew。ProbablyatthismomentSoamesdecidedthattheleasehadnotbeenviolated；thoughtohimselfandhisfatherhebasedthedecisionontheefficiencyofthoseillicitadaptationsinthebuilding，onthesignsofprosperity，andtheobviousbusinesscapacityofMadameLamotte。Hedidnot，however，neglecttoleavecertainmatterstofutureconsideration，whichhadnecessitatedfurthervisits，sothatthelittlebackroomhadbecomequiteaccustomedtohisspare，notunsolid，butunobtrusivefigure，andhispale，chinnyfacewithclippedmoustacheanddarkhairnotyetgrizzlingatthesides。”UnMonsieurtresdistingue，”MadameLamottefoundhim；andpresently，”Tresamical，tresgentil，”watchinghiseyesuponherdaughter。
Shewasoneofthosegenerouslybuilt，fine-faced，dark-hairedFrenchwomen，whoseeveryactionandtoneofvoiceinspireperfectconfidenceinthethoroughnessoftheirdomestictastes，theirknowledgeofcooking，andthecarefulincreaseoftheirbankbalances。
AfterthosevisitstotheRestaurantBretagnebegan，othervisitsceased——without，indeed，anydefinitedecision，forSoames，likeallForsytes，andthegreatmajorityoftheircountrymen，wasabornempiricist。Butitwasthischangeinhismodeoflifewhichhadgraduallymadehimsodefinitelyconsciousthathedesiredtoalterhisconditionfromthatoftheunmarriedmarriedmantothatofthemarriedmanremarried。
TurningintoMaltaStreetonthiseveningofearlyOctober，1899，heboughtapapertoseeiftherewereanyafter-developmentoftheDreyfuscase——aquestionwhichhehadalwaysfoundusefulinmakingcloseracquaintanceshipwithMadameLamotteandherdaughter，whowereCatholicandanti-Dreyfusard。
Scanningthosecolumns，SoamesfoundnothingFrench，butnoticedageneralfallontheStockExchangeandanominousleaderabouttheTransvaal。Heentered，thinking：’War’sacertainty。Ishallsellmyconsols。’Notthathehadmany，personally，therateofinterestwastoowretched；butheshouldadvisehisCompanies——
consolswouldassuredlygodown。Alook，ashepassedthedoorwaysoftherestaurant，assuredhimthatbusinesswasgoodasever，andthis，whichinAprilwouldhavepleasedhim，nowgavehimacertainuneasiness。IfthestepswhichhehadtotakeendedinhismarryingAnnette，hewouldratherseehermothersafelybackinFrance，amovetowhichtheprosperityoftheRestaurantBretagnemightbecomeanobstacle。Hewouldhavetobuythemout，ofcourse，forFrenchpeopleonlycametoEnglandtomakemoney；anditwouldmeanahigherprice。Andthenthatpeculiarsweetsensationatthebackofhisthroat，andaslightthumpingabouttheheart，whichhealwaysexperiencedatthedoorofthelittleroom，preventedhisthinkinghowmuchitwouldcost。
Goingin，hewasconsciousofanabundantblackskirtvanishingthroughthedoorintotherestaurant，andofAnnettewithherhandsuptoherhair。Itwastheattitudeinwhichofallothersheadmiredher——sobeautifullystraightandroundedandsupple。Andhesaid：”Ijustcameintotalktoyourmotheraboutpullingdownthatpartition。No，don’tcallher。””Monsieurwillhavesupperwithus?Itwillbereadyintenminutes。”Soames，whostillheldherhand，wasovercomebyanimpulsewhichsurprisedhim。”Youlooksoprettyto-night，”hesaid，”soverypretty。Doyouknowhowprettyyoulook，Annette?”
Annettewithdrewherhand，andblushed。”Monsieurisverygood。””Notabitgood，”saidSoames，andsatdowngloomily。
Annettemadealittleexpressivegesturewithherhands；asmilewascrinklingherredlipsuntouchedbysalve。
And，lookingatthoselips，Soamessaid：”Areyouhappyoverhere，ordoyouwanttogobacktoFrance?””Oh，IlikeLondon。Paris，ofcourse。ButLondonisbetterthanOrleans，andtheEnglishcountryissobeautiful。IhavebeentoRichmondlastSunday。”
Soameswentthroughamomentofcalculatingstruggle。Mapledurham！
Daredhe?Afterall，daredhegosofarasthat，andshowherwhattherewastolookforwardto！Still！Downthereonecouldsaythings。Inthisroomitwasimpossible。”Iwantyouandyourmother，”hesaidsuddenly，”tocomefortheafternoonnextSunday。Myhouseisontheriver，it’snottoolateinthisweather；andIcanshowyousomegoodpictures。Whatdoyousay?”
Annetteclaspedherhands。”Itwillbelovelee。Theriverissobeautiful””That’sunderstood，then。I’llaskMadame。”
Heneedsaynomoretoherthisevening，andriskgivinghimselfaway。Buthadhenotalreadysaidtoomuch?Didoneaskrestaurantproprietorswithprettydaughtersdowntoone’scountryhousewithoutdesign?MadameLamottewouldsee，ifAnnettedidn’t。
Well！therewasnotmuchthatMadamedidnotsee。Besides，thiswasthesecondtimehehadstayedtosupperwiththem；heowedthemhospitality。
WalkinghometowardsParkLane——forhewasstayingathisfather’s——
withtheimpressionofAnnette’ssoftcleverhandwithinhisown，histhoughtswerepleasant，slightlysensual，ratherpuzzled。Takesteps！Whatsteps?How?Dirtylinenwashedinpublic?Pah！
Withhisreputationforsagacity，forfar-sightednessandthecleverextricationofothers，he，whostoodforproprietaryinterests，tobecometheplaythingofthatLawofwhichhewasapillar！Therewassomethingrevoltinginthethought！Winifred’saffairwasbadenough！Tohaveadoubledoseofpublicityinthefamily！Wouldnotaliaisonbebetterthanthat——aliaison，andasonhecouldadopt?Butdark，solid，watchful，MadameLamotteblockedtheavenueofthatvision。No！thatwouldnotwork。ItwasnotasifAnnettecouldhavearealpassionforhim；onecouldnotexpectthatathisage。Ifhermotherwished，iftheworldlyadvantageweremanifestlygreat——perhaps！Ifnot，refusalwouldbecertain。Besides，hethought：’I’mnotavillain。Idon’twanttohurther；andIdon’twantanythingunderhand。ButIdowanther，andIwantason！There’snothingforitbutdivorce——somehow——
anyhow——divorce！’Undertheshadowoftheplane-trees，inthelamplight，hepassedslowlyalongtherailingsoftheGreenPark。