LatethateveninghewrotetotheChelseaflat，askingifIrenewouldseehim。
Theoldcenturywhichhadseentheplantofindividualismflowersowonderfullywassettinginaskyorangewithcomingstorms。
RumoursofwaraddedtothebrisknessofaLondonturbulentatthecloseofthesummerholidays。AndthestreetstoJolyon，whowasnotoftenupintown，hadafeverishlook，duetothesenewmotor-
carsandcabs，ofwhichhedisapprovedaesthetically。Hecountedthesevehiclesfromhishansom，andmadetheproportionofthemoneintwenty。’Theywereoneinthirtyaboutayearago，’hethought；
’they’vecometostay。Justsomuchmorerattlingroundofwheelsandgeneralstink’——forhewasoneofthoseratherrareLiberalswhoobjecttoanythingnewwhenittakesamaterialform；andheinstructedhisdrivertogetdowntotheriverquickly，outofthetraffic，desiringtolookatthewaterthroughthemellowingscreenofplane-trees。AtthelittleblockofflatswhichstoodbacksomefiftyyardsfromtheEmbankment，hetoldthecabmantowait，andwentuptothefirstfloor。
Yes，Mrs。Heronwasathome！
Theeffectofasettledifverymodestincomewasatonceapparenttohimrememberingthethreadbarerefinementinthattinyflateightyearsagowhenheannouncedhergoodfortune。Everythingwasnowfresh，dainty，andsmelledofflowers。Thegeneraleffectwassilverywithtouchesofblack，hydrangeacolour，andgold。’A
womanofgreattaste，’hethought。TimehaddealtgentlywithJolyon，forhewasaForsyte。ButwithIreneTimehardlyseemedtodealatall，orsuchwashisimpression。Sheappearedtohimnotadayolder，standingthereinmole-colouredvelvetcorduroy，withsoftdarkeyesanddarkgoldhair，withoutstretchedhandandalittlesmile。”Won’tyousitdown?”
Hehadprobablyneveroccupiedachairwithafullersenseofembarrassment。”Youlookabsolutelyunchanged，”hesaid。”Andyoulookyounger，CousinJolyon。”
Jolyonranhishandsthroughhishair，whosethicknesswasstillacomforttohim。”I’mancient，butIdon’tfeelit。That’sonethingaboutpaint-
ing，itkeepsyouyoung。Titianlivedtoninety-nine，andhadtohaveplaguetokillhimoff。Doyouknow，thefirsttimeIeversawyouIthoughtofapicturebyhim?””Whendidyouseemeforthefirsttime?””IntheBotanicalGardens。””Howdidyouknowme，ifyou’dneverseenmebefore?””Bysomeonewhocameuptoyou。”Hewaslookingatherhardily，butherfacedidnotchange；andshesaidquietly：”Yes；manylivesago。””Whatisyourrecipeforyouth，Irene?””Peoplewhodon’tlivearewonderfullypreserved。”
H’m！abitterlittlesaying！Peoplewhodon’tlive！Butanopening，andhetookit。”YouremembermyCousinSoames?”
Hesawhersmilefaintlyatthatwhimsicality，andatoncewenton：”Hecametoseemethedaybeforeyesterday！Hewantsadivorce。
Doyou?””I?”Thewordseemedstartledoutofher。”Aftertwelveyears?
It’sratherlate。Won’titbedifficult?”
Jolyonlookedhardintoherface。”Unless……”hesaid。”UnlessIhavealovernow。ButIhaveneverhadonesince。”
Whatdidhefeelatthesimplicityandcandourofthosewords?
Relief，surprise，pity！Venusfortwelveyearswithoutalover！”Andyet，”hesaid，”Isupposeyouwouldgiveagooddealtobefree，too?””Idon’tknow。Whatdoesitmatter，now?””Butifyouweretoloveagain?””Ishouldlove。”Inthatsimpleanswersheseemedtosumupthewholephilosophyofoneonwhomtheworldhadturneditsback。”Well！Isthereanythingyouwouldlikemetosaytohim?””OnlythatI’msorryhe’snotfree。Hehadhischanceonce。I
don’tknowwhyhedidn’ttakeit。””BecausehewasaForsyte；weneverpartwiththings，youknow，unlesswewantsomethingintheirplace；andnotalwaysthen。”
Irenesmiled。”Don’tyou，CousinJolyon?——Ithinkyoudo。””Ofcourse，I’mabitofamongrel——notquiteapureForsyte。I
nevertakethehalfpenniesoffmycheques，Iputthemon，”saidJolyonuneasily。”Well，whatdoesSoameswantinplaceofmenow?””Idon’tknow；perhapschildren。”
Shewassilentforalittle，lookingdown。”Yes，”shemurmured；”it’shard。IwouldhelphimtobefreeifI
could。”
Jolyongazedintohishat，hisembarrassmentwasincreasingfast；
sowashisadmiration，hiswonder，andhispity。Shewassolovely，andsolonely；andaltogetheritwassuchacoil！”Well，”hesaid，”IshallhavetoseeSoames。Ifthere’sanythingIcandoforyouI’malwaysatyourservice。Youmustthinkofmeasawretchedsubstituteformyfather。AtalleventsI’llletyouknowwhathappenswhenIspeaktoSoames。Hemaysupplythematerialhimself。”
Sheshookherhead。”Yousee，hehasalottolose；andIhavenothing。Ishouldlikehimtobefree；butIdon’tseewhatIcando。””NorIatthemoment，”saidJolyon，andsoonaftertookhisleave。
Hewentdowntohishansom。Half-pastthree！Soameswouldbeathisofficestill。”TothePoultry，”hecalledthroughthetrap。InfrontoftheHousesofParliamentandinWhitehall，newsvendorswerecalling，”GravesituationintheTransvaal！”butthecrieshardlyrousedhim，absorbedinrecollectionofthatverybeautifulfigure，ofhersoftdarkglance，andthewords：”Ihaveneverhadonesince。”
Whatonearthdidsuchawomandowithherlife，back-wateredlikethis?Solitary，unprotected，witheveryman’shandagainstherorrather——reachingouttograspherattheleastsign。Andyearafteryearshewentonlikethat！
Theword’Poultry’abovethepassingcitizensbroughthimbacktoreality。
’Forsyte，BustardandForsyte，’inblacklettersonagroundthecolourofpeasoup，spurredhimtoasortofvigour，andhewentupthestonestairsmuttering：”Fustymustyownerships！Well，wecouldn’tdowithoutthem！””IwantMr。SoamesForsyte，”hesaidtotheboywhoopenedthedoor。”Whatname?””Mr。JolyonForsyte。”
Theyouthlookedathimcuriously，neverhavingseenaForsytewithabeard，andvanished。
Theofficesof’Forsyte，BustardandForsyte’hadslowlyabsorbedtheofficesof’TootingandBowles，’andoccupiedthewholeofthefirstfloor。
ThefirmconsistednowofnothingbutSoamesandanumberofmanagingandarticledclerks。ThecompleteretirementofJamessomesixyearsagohadacceleratedbusiness，towhichthefinaltouchofspeedhadbeenimpartedwhenBustarddroppedoff，wornout，asmanybelieved，bythesuitof’FryerversusForsyte，’moreinChancerythaneverandlesslikelytobenefititsbeneficiaries。
Soames，withhissanergraspofactualities，hadneverpermittedittoworryhim；onthecontrary，hehadlongperceivedthatProvidencehadpresentedhimthereinwithL200ayearnetinperpetuity，and——whynot?
WhenJolyonentered，hiscousinwasdrawingoutalistofholdingsinConsols，whichinviewoftherumoursofwarhewasgoingtoadvisehiscompaniestoputonthemarketatonce，beforeothercompaniesdidthesame。Helookedround，sidelong，andsaid：”Howareyou?Justoneminute。Sitdown，won’tyou?”Andhavingenteredthreeamounts，andsetarulertokeephisplace，heturnedtowardsJolyon，bitingthesideofhisflatforefinger……”Yes?”hesaid。”Ihaveseenher。”