AndhelookedaroundatSoameswiththethought：’Ishereal，thisman?’ButSoameslookedveryreal，sittingsquareyetalmostelegantwiththeclippedmoustacheonhispaleface，andatoothshowingwherealipwasliftedinafriedsmile。Therewasalongsilence，whileJolyonthought：’Insteadofhelpingher，I’vemadethingsworse。’SuddenlySoamessaid：”Itwouldbethebestthingthatcouldhappentoherinmanyways。”
AtthosewordssuchaturmoilbegantakingplaceinJolyonthathecouldbarelysitstillinthecab。Itwasasifhewereboxedupwithhundredsofthousandsofhiscountrymen，boxedupwiththatsomethinginthenationalcharacterwhichhadalwaysbeentohimrevolting，somethingwhichheknewtobeextremelynaturalandyetwhichseemedtohiminexplicable——theirintensebeliefincontractsandvestedrights，theircomplacentsenseofvirtueintheexactionofthoserights。Herebesidehiminthecabwastheveryembodiment，thecorporealsumasitwere，ofthepossessiveinstinct——hisownkinsman，too！Itwasuncannyandintolerable！
’Butthere’ssomethingmoreinitthanthat！’hethoughtwithasickfeeling。’Thedog，theysay，returnstohisvomit！Thesightofherhasreawakenedsomething。Beauty！Thedevil’sinit！’”AsIsay，”saidSoames，”Ihavenotmadeupmymind。Ishallbeobligedifyouwillkindlyleaveherquitealone。”
Jolyonbithislips；hewhohadalwayshatedrowsalmostwelcomedthethought，ofonenow。”Icangiveyounosuchpromise，”hesaidshortly。”Verywell，”saidSoames，”thenweknowwhereweare。I’llgetdownhere。”Andstoppingthecabhegotoutwithoutwordorsignoffarewell。JolyontravelledontohisClub。
Thefirstnewsofthewarwasbeingcalledinthestreets，buthepaidnoattention。Whatcouldhedotohelpher?Ifonlyhisfatherwerealive！Hecouldhavedonesomuch！Butwhycouldhenotdoallthathisfathercouldhavedone?Washenotoldenough?——turnedfiftyandtwicemarried，withgrown-updaughtersandason。’Queer，’hethought。’IfshewereplainIshouldn’tbethinkingtwiceaboutit。Beautyisthedevil，whenyou’resen-
sitivetoit！’AndintotheClubreading-roomhewentwithadisturbedheart。InthatveryroomheandBosinneyhadtalkedonesummerafternoon；hewellrememberedevennowthedisguisedandsecretlecturehehadgiventhatyoungmanintheinterestsofJune，thediagnosisoftheForsyteshehadhazarded；andhowhehadwonderedwhatsortofwomanitwashewaswarninghimagainst。Andnow！Hewasalmostinwantofawarninghimself。’It’sdeucedfunny！’hethought，’reallydeucedfunny！’
CHAPTERXIV
SOAMESDISCOVERSWHATHEWANTS
Itissomucheasiertosay，”Thenweknowwhereweare，”thantomeananythingparticularbythewords。AndinsayingthemSoamesdidbutventthejealousranklingofhisinstincts。Hegotoutofthecabinastateofwaryanger——withhimselffornothavingseenIrene，withJolyonforhavingseenher；andnowwithhisinabilitytotellexactlywhathewanted。
Hehadabandonedthecabbecausehecouldnotbeartoremainseatedbesidehiscousin，andwalkingbrisklyeastwardshethought：’I
wouldn’ttrustthatfellowJolyonayard。Onceoutcast，alwaysoutcast！’Thechaphadanaturalsympathywith——with——laxityhehadshiedatthewordsin，becauseitwastoomelodramaticforusebyaForsyte。
Indecisionindesirewastohimanewfeeling。Hewaslikeachildbetweenapromisedtoyandanoldonewhichhadbeentakenawayfromhim；andhewasastonishedathimself。OnlylastSundaydesirehadseemedsimple——justhisfreedomandAnnette。’I’llgoanddinethere，’hethought。Toseehermightbringbackhissinglenessofintention，calmhisexasperation，clearhismind。
Therestaurantwasfairlyfull——agoodmanyforeignersandfolkwhom，fromtheirappearance，hetooktobeliteraryorartistic。
Scrapsofconversationcamehiswaythroughtheclatterofplatesandglasses。HedistinctlyheardtheBoerssympathisedwith，theBritishGovernmentblamed。’Don’tthinkmuchoftheirclientele，’
hethought。Hewentstolidlythroughhisdinnerandspecialcoffeewithoutmakinghispresenceknown，andwhenatlasthehadfinished，wascarefulnottobeseengoingtowardsthesanctumofMadameLamotte。Theywere，asheentered，havingsupper——suchamuchnicer-lookingsupperthanthedinnerhehadeatenthathefeltakindofgrief——andtheygreetedhimwithasurprisesoseeminglygenuinethathethoughtwithsuddensuspicion：’IbelievetheyknewIwashereallthetime。’HegaveAnnettealookfurtiveandsearching。Sopretty，seeminglysocandid；couldshebeanglingforhim?HeturnedtoMadameLamotteandsaid：”I’vebeendininghere。”
Really！Ifshehadonlyknown！Thereweredishesshecouldhaverecommended；whatapity！Soameswasconfirmedinhissuspicion。
’ImustlookoutwhatI’mdoing！’hethoughtsharply。”Anotherlittlecupofveryspecialcoffee，monsieur；aliqueur，GrandMarnier?”andMadameLamotterosetoorderthesedelicacies。
AlonewithAnnetteSoamessaid，”Well，Annette?”withadefensivelittlesmileabouthislips。
Thegirlblushed。This，whichlastSundaywouldhavesethisnervestingling，nowgavehimmuchthesamefeelingamanhaswhenadogthatheownswrigglesandlooksathim。Hehadacurioussenseofpower，asifhecouldhavesaidtoher，’Comeandkissme，’andshewouldhavecome。Andyet——itwasstrange——butthereseemedanotherfaceandformintheroomtoo；andtheitchinhisnerves，wasitforthat——orforthis?Hejerkedhisheadtowardstherestaurantandsaid：”Youhavesomequeercustomers。Doyoulikethislife?”
Annettelookedupathimforamoment，lookeddown，andplayedwithherfork。”No，”shesaid，”Idonotlikeit。”
’I’vegother，’thoughtSoames，’ifIwanther。ButdoIwanther?’Shewasgraceful，shewaspretty——verypretty；shewasfresh，shehadtasteofakind。Hiseyestravelledroundthelittleroom；
buttheeyesofhismindwentanotherjourney——ahalf-light，andsilverywalls，asatinwoodpiano，awomanstandingagainstit，reinedbackasitwerefromhim——awomanwithwhiteshouldersthatheknew，anddarkeyesthathehadsoughttoknow，andhairlikedulldarkamber。Andasinanartistwhostrivesfortheunrealisableandiseverthirsty，sothereroseinhimatthatmomentthethirstoftheoldpassionhehadneversatisfied。”Well，”hesaidcalmly，”you’reyoung。There’severythingbeforeyou。”
Annetteshookherhead。”Ithinksometimesthereisnothingbeforemebuthardwork。Iamnotsoinlovewithworkasmother。””Yourmotherisawonder，”saidSoames，faintlymocking；”shewillneverletfailurelodgeinherhouse。”
Annettesighed。”Itmustbewonderfultoberich。””Oh！You’llberichsomeday，”answeredSoames，stillwiththatfaintmockery；”don’tbeafraid。”
Annetteshruggedhershoulders。”Monsieurisverykind。”Andbetweenherpoutinglipssheputachocolate。
’Yes，mydear，’thoughtSoames，’they’reverypretty。’
MadameLamotte，withcoffeeandliqueur，putanendtothatcolloquy。Soamesdidnotstaylong。
OutsideinthestreetsofSoho，whichalwaysgavehimsuchafeelingofpropertyimproperlyowned，hemused。IfonlyIrenehadgivenhimason，hewouldn’tnowbesquirmingafterwomen！Thethoughthadjumpedoutofitslittledarksentry-boxinhisinnerconsciousness。Ason——somethingtolookforwardto，somethingtomaketherestoflifeworthwhile，somethingtoleavehimselfto，someperpetuityofself。’IfIhadason，’hethoughtbitterly，’aproperlegalson，IcouldmakeshifttogoonasIused。Onewoman’smuchthesameasanother，afterall。’Butashewalkedheshookhishead。No！Onewomanwasnotthesameasanother。Manyatimehadhetriedtothinkthatintheolddaysofhisthwartedmarriedlife；andhehadalwaysfailed。Hewasfailingnow。HewastryingtothinkAnnettethesameasthatother。Butshewasnot，shehadnotthelureofthatoldpassion。’AndIrene’smywife，’hethought，’mylegalwife。Ihavedonenothingtoputherawayfromme。Whyshouldn’tshecomebacktome?It’stherightthing，thelawfulthing。Itmakesnoscandal，nodisturbance。Ifit’sdisagreeabletoher——butwhyshoulditbe?I’mnotaleper，andshe——she’snolongerinlove！’WhyshouldhebeputtotheshiftsandthesordiddisgracesandthelurkingdefeatsoftheDivorceCourt，whenthereshewaslikeanemptyhouseonlywaitingtoberetakenintouseandpossessionbyhimwholegallyownedher?
ToonesosecretiveasSoamesthethoughtofreentryintoquietpossessionofhisownpropertywithnothinggivenawaytotheworldwasintenselyalluring。’No，’hemused，’I’mgladIwenttoseethatgirl。IknownowwhatIwantmost。IfonlyIrenewillcomebackI’llbeasconsiderateasshewishes；shecouldliveherownlife；butperhaps——perhapsshewouldcomeroundtome。’Therewasalumpinhisthroat。AnddoggedlyalongbytherailingsoftheGreenPark，towardshisfather’shouse，hewent，tryingtotreadonhisshadowwalkingbeforehiminthebrilliantmoonlight。
PARTII
CHAPTERI
THETHIRDGENERATION
JollyForsytewasstrollingdownHighStreet，Oxford，onaNovemberafternoon；ValDartiewasstrollingup。Jollyhadjustchangedoutofboatingflannelsandwasonhiswaytothe’Frying-pan，’towhichhehadrecentlybeenelected。Valhadjustchangedoutofridingclothesandwasonhiswaytothefire——abookmaker’sinCornmarket。”Hallo！”saidJolly。”Hallo！”repliedVal。