dilectionsoftheEnglishmiddle-classtodealwith。AttheendofthegallerywasaMeissonierofwhichhewasratherashamed——
Meissonierwassosteadilygoingdown。MadameLamottestoppedbeforeit。”Meissonier！Ah！Whatajewel！”Soamestookadvantageofthatmoment。VerygentlytouchingAnnette’sarm，hesaid：”Howdoyoulikemyplace，Annette?”
Shedidnotshrink，didnotrespond；shelookedathimfull，lookeddown，andmurmured：”Whowouldnotlikeit?Itissobeautiful！””Perhapssomeday”Soamessaid，andstopped。
Soprettyshewas，soself-possessed——shefrightenedhim。Thosecornflower-blueeyes，theturnofthatcreamyneck，herdelicatecurves——shewasastandingtemptationtoindiscretion！No！No！
Onemustbesureofone’sground——muchsurer！’IfIholdoff，’hethought，’itwilltantaliseher。’AndhecrossedovertoMadameLamotte，whowasstillinfrontoftheMeissonier。”Yes，that’squiteagoodexampleofhislaterwork。Youmustcomeagain，Madame，andseethemlightedup。Youmustbothcomeandspendanight。”
Enchanted，woulditnotbebeautifultoseethemlighted?Bymoonlighttoo，therivermustberavishing！
Annettemurmured：”Thouartsentimental，Maman！”
Sentimental！Thatblack-robed，comely，substantialFrenchwomanoftheworld！Andsuddenlyhewascertainashecouldbethattherewasnosentimentineitherofthem。Allthebetter。Ofwhatusesentiment?Andyet……！
Hedrovetothestationwiththem，andsawthemintothetrain。TothetightenedpressureofhishanditseemedthatAnnette’sfingersrespondedjustalittle；herfacesmiledathimthroughthedark。
Hewentbacktothecarriage，brooding。”Goonhome，Jordan，”hesaidtothecoachman；”I’llwalk。”Andhestrodeoutintothedarkeninglanes，cautionandthedesireofpossessionplayingsee-sawwithinhim。’Bonsoir，monsieur！’Howsoftlyshehadsaidit。Toknowwhatwasinhermind！TheFrench——theywerelikecats——onecouldtellnothing！But——howpretty！Whataperfectyoungthingtoholdinone’sarms！Whatamotherforhisheir！
Andhethought，withasmile，ofhisfamilyandtheirsurpriseataFrenchwife，andtheircuriosity，andofthewayhewouldplaywithitandbuffetitconfoundthem！
The，poplarssighedinthedarkness；anowlhooted。Shadowsdeepenedinthewater。’Iwillandmustbefree，’hethought。’I
won’thangaboutanylonger。I’llgoandseeIrene。Ifyouwantthingsdone，dothemyourself。Imustliveagain——liveandmoveandhavemybeing。’Andinechotothatqueerbiblicalitychurch-
bellschimedthecalltoeveningprayer。
CHAPTERXI
ANDVISITSTHEPAST
OnaTuesdayeveningafterdiningathisclubSoamessetouttodowhatrequiredmorecourageandperhapslessdelicacythananythinghehadyetundertakeninhislife——saveperhapshisbirth，andoneotheraction。Hechosetheevening，indeed，partlybecauseIrenewasmorelikelytobein，butmainlybecausehehadfailedtofindsufficientresolutionbydaylight，hadneededwinetogivehimextradaring。
HelefthishansomontheEmbankment，andwalkeduptotheOldChurch，uncertainoftheblockofflatswhereheknewshelived。
Hefoundithidingbehindamuchlargermansion；andhavingreadthename，’Mrs。IreneHeron’——Heron，forsooth！Hermaidenname：sosheusedthatagain，didshe?——hesteppedbackintotheroadtolookupatthewindowsofthefirstfloor。Lightwascomingthroughinthecornerfiat，andhecouldhearapianobeingplayed。
Hehadneverhadaloveofmusic，hadsecretlyborneitagrudgeintheolddayswhensooftenshehadturnedtoherpiano，makingofitarefugeplaceintowhichsheknewhecouldnotenter。Repulse！
Thelongrepulse，atfirstrestrainedandsecret，atlastopen！
Bittermemorycamewiththatsound。Itmustbesheplaying，andthusalmostassuredofseeingher，hestoodmoreundecidedthanever。Shiversofanticipationranthroughhim；histonguefeltdry，hisheartbeatfast。’Ihavenocausetobeafraid，’hethought。Andthenthelawyerstirredwithinhim。Washedoingafoolishthing?Oughthenottohavearrangedaformalmeetinginthepresenceofhertrustee?No！NotbeforethatfellowJolyon，whosympathisedwithher！Never！Hecrossedbackintothedoorway，and，slowly，tokeepdownthebeatingofhisheart，mountedthesingleflightofstairsandrangthebell。Whenthedoorwasopenedtohimhissensationswereregulatedbythescentwhichcame——thatperfumefromawaybackinthepast，bringingmuffledremembrance：fragranceofadrawing-roomheusedtoenter，ofahouseheusedtoown——perfumeofdriedrose-leavesandhoney！”Say，Mr。Forsyte，”hesaid，”yourmistresswillseeme，Iknow。”
Hehadthoughtthisout；shewouldthinkitwasJolyon！
Whenthemaidwasgoneandhewasaloneinthetinyhall，wherethelightwasdimfromonepearly-shadedsconce，andwalls，carpet，everythingwassilvery，makingthewalled-inspaceallghostly，hecouldonlythinkridiculously：’ShallIgoinwithmyovercoaton，ortakeitoff?’Themusicceased；themaidsaidfromthedoorway：”Willyouwalkin，sir?”
Soameswalkedin。Henotedmechanicallythatallwasstillsilvery，andthattheuprightpianowasofsatinwood。Shehadrisenandstoodrecoiledagainstit；herhand，placedonthekeysasifgropingforsupport，hadstruckasuddendiscord，heldforamoment，andreleased。Thelightfromtheshadedpiano-candlefellonherneck，leavingherfaceratherinshadow。Shewasinablackeveningdress，withasortofmantillaoverhershoulders——hedidnotremembereverhavingseenherinblack，andthethoughtpassedthroughhim：’Shedressesevenwhenshe’salone。’”You！”heheardherwhisper。
ManytimesSoameshadrehearsedthissceneinfancy。Rehearsalservedhimnotatall。Hesimplycouldnotspeak。Hehadneverthoughtthatthesightofthiswomanwhomhehadoncesopassionatelydesired，socompletelyowned，andwhomhehadnotseenfortwelveyears，couldaffecthiminthisway。Hehadimaginedhimselfspeakingandacting，halfasmanofbusiness，halfasjudge。Andnowitwasasifhewereinthepresencenotofamerewomananderringwife，butofsomeforce，subtleandelusiveasatmo-sphereitselfwithinhimandoutside。Akindofdefensiveironywelledupinhim。”Yes，it’saqueervisit！Ihopeyou’rewell。””Thankyou。Willyousitdown?”
Shehadmovedawayfromthepiano，andgoneovertoawindow-seat，sinkingontoit，withherhandsclaspedinherlap。Lightfellonherthere，sothatSoamescouldseeherface，eyes，hair，strangelyasherememberedthem，strangelybeautiful。
Hesatdownontheedgeofasatinwoodchair，upholsteredwithsilver-colouredstuff，closetowherehewasstanding。”Youhavenotchanged，”hesaid。”No?Whathaveyoucomefor?””Todiscussthings。””Ihaveheardwhatyouwantfromyourcousin。””Well?””Iamwilling。Ihavealwaysbeen。”
Thesoundofhervoice，reservedandclose，thesightofherfigurewatchfullypoised，defensive，washelpinghimnow。Athousandmemoriesofher，everonthewatchagainsthim，stirred，and……”Perhapsyouwillbegoodenough，then，togivemeinformationonwhichIcanact。Thelawmustbecompliedwith。””Ihavenonetogiveyouthatyoudon’tknowof。”Twelveyears！DoyousupposeIcanbelievethat?””Idon’tsupposeyouwillbelieveanythingIsay；butit’sthetruth。”
Soameslookedatherhard。Hehadsaidthatshehadnotchanged；
nowheperceivedthatshehad。Notinface，exceptthatitwasmorebeautiful；notinform，exceptthatitwasalittlefuller——
no！Shehadchangedspiritually。Therewasmoreofher，asitwere，somethingofactivityanddaring，wheretherehadbeensheerpassiveresistance。’Ah！’hethought，’that’sherindependentincome！ConfoundUncleJolyon！’”Isupposeyou’recomfortablyoffnow?”hesaid。”Thankyou，yes。””Whydidn’tyouletmeprovideforyou?Iwouldhave，inspiteofeverything。”
Afaintsmilecameonherlips；butshedidnotanswer。