ButJolly，inhisbedroomnarrowasaghost，laywithahandbeneathhischeekanddreamedhewaswithValinoneboat，rowingaraceagainsthim，whilehisfatherwascallingfromthetowpath：
’Two！Getyourhandsawaythere，blessyou！’
CHAPTERII
SOAMESPUTSITTOTHETOUCH
OfallthoseradiantfirmswhichemblazonwiththeirwindowstheWestEndofLondon，GavesandCortegalwereconsideredbySoamesthemost’attractive’wordjustcomingintofashion。HehadneverhadhisUncleSwithin’stasteinpreciousstones，andtheabandonmentbyIrenewhenshelefthishousein1887ofalltheglitteringthingshehadgivenherhaddisgustedhimwiththisformofinvest-ment。Buthestillknewadiamondwhenhesawone，andduringtheweekbeforeherbirthdayhehadtakenoccasion，onhiswayintothePoultryorhiswayouttherefrom，todallyalittlebeforethegreaterjewellerswhereonegot，ifnotone’smoney’sworth，atleastacertaincachetwiththegoods。
ConstantcogitationsincehisdrivewithJolyonhadconvincedhimmoreandmoreofthesupremeimportanceofthismomentinhislife，thesupremeneedfortakingstepsandthosenotwrong。And，alongsidethedryandreasonedsensethatitwasnoworneverwithhisself-preservation，noworneverifheweretorangehimselfandfoundafamily，wentthesecreturgeofhissensesrousedbythesightofherwhohadoncebeenapassionatelydesiredwife，andtheconvictionthatitwasasinagainstcommonsenseandthedecentsecrecyofForsytestowastethewifehehad。
InanopiniononWinifred’scase，Dreamer，Q。C——hewouldmuchhavepreferredWaterbuck，buttheyhadmadehimajudgesolateinthedayastorousetheusualsuspicionofapoliticaljob——hadadvisedthattheyshouldgoforwardandobtainrestitutionofconjugalrights，apointwhichtoSoameshadneverbeenindoubt。
Whentheyhadobtainedadecreetothateffecttheymustwaittoseeifitwasobeyed。Ifnot，itwouldconstitutelegaldesertion，andtheyshouldobtainevidenceofmisconductandfiletheirpetitionfordivorce。AllofwhichSoamesknewperfectlywell。
Theyhadmarkedhimtenandone。Thissimplicityinhissister’scaseonlymadehimthemoredesperateaboutthedifficultyinhisown。Everything，infact，wasdrivinghimtowardsthesimplesolutionofIrene’sreturn。Ifitwerestillagainstthegrainwithher，hadhenotfeelingstosubdue，injurytoforgive，paintoforget?Heatleasthadneverinjuredher，andthiswasaworldofcompromise！Hecouldofferhersomuchmorethanshehadnow。Hewouldbepreparedtomakealiberalsettlementonherwhichcouldnotbeupset。Heoftenscrutinisedhisimageinthesedays。HehadneverbeenapeacocklikethatfellowDartie，orfanciedhimselfawoman’sman，buthehadacertainbeliefinhisownappearance——notunjustly，foritwaswell-coupledandpreserved，neat，healthy，pale，unblemishedbydrinkorexcessofanykind。
TheForsytejawandtheconcentrationofhisfacewere，inhiseyes，virtues。Sofarashecouldtelltherewasnofeatureofhimwhichneedinspiredislike。
Thoughtsandyearnings，withwhichonelivesdaily，becomenatural，eveniffar-fetchedintheirinception。Ifhecouldonlygivetangibleproofenoughofhisdeterminationtoletbygonesbebygones，andtodoallinhispowertopleaseher，whyshouldshenotcomebacktohim?
HeenteredGavesandCortegal’stherefore，onthemorningofNovemberthe9th，tobuyacertaindiamondbrooch。”Fourtwenty-fiveanddirtcheap，sir，atthemoney。It’salady’sbrooch。”Therewasthatinhismoodwhichmadehimacceptwithoutdemur。AndhewentonintothePoultrywiththeflatgreenmoroccocaseinhisbreastpocket。Severaltimesthatdayheopenedittolookatthesevensoftshiningstonesintheirvelvetovalnest。”Iftheladydoesn’tlikeit，sir，happytoexchangeitanytime。
Butthere’snofearofthat。”Ifonlytherewerenot！Hegotthroughavastamountofwork，onlysootherofthenervesheknew。
AcablegramcamewhilehewasintheofficewithdetailsfromtheagentinBuenosAires，andthenameandaddressofastewardesswhowouldbepreparedtosweartowhatwasnecessary。ItwasatimelyspurtoSoames，withhisrooteddistasteforthewashingofdirtylineninpublic。AndwhenhesetforthbyUndergroundtoVictoriaStationhereceivedafreshimpetustowardstherenewalofhismarriedlifefromtheaccountinhiseveningpaperofafashionabledivorcesuit。ThehominginstinctofalltrueForsytesinanxietyandtrouble，thecorporatetendencywhichkeptthemstrongandsolid，madehimchoosetodineatParkLane。Heneithercouldnorwouldbreathawordtohispeopleofhisintention——tooreticentandproud——butthethoughtthatatleasttheywouldbegladiftheyknew，andwishhimluck，washeartening。
Jameswasinlugubriousmood，forthefirewhichtheimpudenceofKruger’sultimatumhadlitinhimhadbeencold-wateredbythepoorsuccessofthelastmonth，andtheexhortationstoeffortinTheTimes。Hedidn’tknowwhereitwouldend。SoamessoughttocheerhimbythecontinualuseofthewordBuller。ButJamescouldn’ttell！TherewasColley——andhegotstuckonthathill，andthisLadysmithwasdowninahollow，andaltogetheritlookedtohima’prettykettleoffish’；hethoughttheyoughttobesendingthesailors——theywerethechaps，theydidalotofgoodintheCrimea。
Soamesshiftedthegroundofconsolation。WinifredhadheardfromValthattherehadbeena’rag’andabonfireonGuyFawkesDayatOxford，andthathehadescapeddetectionbyblackinghisface。”Ah！”Jamesmuttered，”he’sacleverlittlechap。”Butheshookhisheadshortlyafterwardsandremarkedthathedidn’tknowwhatwouldbecomeofhim，andlookingwistfullyathisson，murmuredonthatSoameshadneverhadaboy。Hewouldhavelikedagrandsonofhisownname。Andnow——well，thereitwas！
Soamesflinched。Hehadnotexpectedsuchachallengetodisclosethesecretinhisheart。AndEmily，whosawhimwince，said：”Nonsense，James；don’ttalklikethat！”
ButJames，notlookinganyoneintheface，mutteredon。TherewereRogerandNicholasandJolyon；theyallhadgrandsons。AndSwithinandTimothyhadnevermarried。Hehaddonehisbest；buthewouldsoonbegonenow。And，asthoughhehadutteredwordsofprofoundconsolation，hewassilent，eatingbrainswithaforkandapieceofbread，andswallowingthebread。
Soamesexcusedhimselfdirectlyafterdinner。Itwasnotreallycold，butheputonhisfurcoat，whichservedtofortifyhimagainstthefitsofnervousshiveringtowhichhehadbeensubjectallday。Subconsciously，heknewthathelookedbetterthusthaninanordinaryblackovercoat。Then，feelingthemoroccocaseflatagainsthisheart，hesalliedforth。Hewasnosmoker，buthelitacigarette，andsmokeditgingerlyashewalkedalong。HemovedslowlydowntheRowtowardsKnightsbridge，timinghimselftogettoChelseaatnine-fifteen。Whatdidshedowithherselfeveningaftereveninginthatlittlehole?Howmysteriouswomenwere！Onelivedalongsideandknewnothingofthem。WhatcouldshehaveseeninthatfellowBosinneytosendhermad?Fortherewasmadnessafterallinwhatshehaddone——crazymoonstruckmadness，inwhichallsenseofvalueshadbeenlost，andherlifeandhisliferuined！Andforamomenthewasfilledwithasortofexaltation，asthoughhewereamanreadofinastorywho，possessedbytheChristianspirit，wouldrestoretoheralltheprizesofexistence，forgivingandforgetting，andbecomingthegodfatherofherfuture。UnderatreeoppositeKnightsbridgeBarracks，wherethemoon-lightstruckdownclearandwhite，hetookoutoncemorethemoroccocase，andletthebeamsdrawcolourfromthosestones。
Yes，theywereofthefirstwater！But，atthehardclosingsnapofthecase，anothercoldshiverranthroughhisnerves；andhewalkedonfaster，clenchinghisglovedhandsinthepocketsofhiscoat，almosthopingshewouldnotbein。Thethoughtofhowmysteriousshewasagainbesethim。Diningalonetherenightafternight——inaneveningdress，too，asifsheweremakingbelievetobeinsociety！Playingthepiano——toherself！Notevenadogorcat，sofarashehadseen。AndthatremindedhimsuddenlyofthemarehekeptforstationworkatMapledurham。Ifeverhewenttothestable，thereshewasquitealone，halfasleep，andyet，onherhomejourneysgoingmorefreelythanonherwayout，asiflongingtobebackandlonelyinherstable！’Iwouldtreatherwell，’hethoughtincoherently。’Iwouldbeverycareful。’AndallthatcapacityforhomelifeofwhichamockingFateseemedforevertohavedeprivedhimswelledsuddenlyinSoames，sothathedreameddreamsoppositeSouthKensingtonStation。IntheKing’sRoadamancameslitheringoutofapublichouseplayingaconcertina。Soameswatchedhimforamomentdancecrazilyonthepavementtohisowndrawlingjaggedsounds，thencrossedovertoavoidcontactwiththispieceofdrunkenfoolery。Anightinthelock-up！Whatassespeoplewere！Butthemanhadnoticedhismovementofavoidance，andstreamsofgenialblasphemyfollowedhimacrossthestreet。
’Ihopethey’llrunhimin，’thoughtSoamesviciously。’Tohaveruffianslikethatabout，withwomenoutalone！’Awoman’sfigureinfronthadinducedthisthought。Herwalkseemedoddlyfamiliar，andwhensheturnedthecornerforwhichhewasbound，hisheartbeganto，beat。Hehastenedontothecornertomakecertain。
Yes！ItwasIrene；hecouldnotmistakeherwalkinthatlittledrabstreet。Shethreadedtwomoreturnings，andfromthelastcornerhesawherenterherblockofflats。Tomakesureofhernow，heranthosefewpaces，hurriedupthestairs，andcaughtherstandingatherdoor。Heheardthelatchkeyinthelock，andreachedhersidejustassheturnedround，startled，intheopendoorway。”Don’tbealarmed，”hesaid，breathless。”Ihappenedtoseeyou。
Letmecomeinaminute。”
Shehadputherhanduptoherbreast，herfacewascolourless，hereyeswidenedbyalarm。Thenseemingtomasterherself，sheinclinedherhead，andsaid：”Verywell。”
Soamesclosedthedoor。He，too，hadneedtorecover，andwhenshehadpassedintothesitting-room，waitedafullminute，takingdeepbreathstostillthebeatingofhisheart。Atthismoment，sofraughtwiththefuture，totakeoutthatmoroccocaseseemedcrude。Yet，nottotakeitoutlefthimtherebeforeherwithnopreliminaryexcuseforcoming。Andinthisdilemmahewasseizedwithimpatienceatallthisparaphernaliaofexcuseandjustification。Thiswasascene——itcouldbenothingelse，andhemustfaceit。Heheardhervoice，uncomfortably，patheticallysoft：”Whyhaveyoucomeagain?Didn’tyouunderstandthatIwouldratheryoudidnot?”
Henoticedherclothes——adarkbrownvelvetcorduroy，asableboa，asmallroundtoqueofthesame。Theysuitedheradmirably。Shehadmoneytosparefordress，evidently！Hesaidabruptly：”It’syourbirthday。Ibroughtyouthis，”andheheldouttoherthegreenmoroccocase。”Oh！No-no！”
Soamespressedtheclasp；thesevenstonesgleamedoutonthepalegreyvelvet。