ButJolyondidnotrespond。Hehadsomethingofhisfather’sbalance，andcouldseethingsimpartiallyevenwhenhisemotionswereroused。Irenewasright；Soames’positionwasasbadorworsethanherown。Asforthelaw——itcateredforahumannatureofwhichittookanaturallylowview。And，feelingthatifhestayedinhisdaughter’scompanyhewouldinonewayoranothercommitanindiscretion，hetoldherhemustcatchhistrainbacktoOxford；
andhailingacab，lefthertoTurner’swater-colours，withthepromisethathewouldthinkoverthatGallery。
ButhethoughtoverIreneinstead。Pity，theysaid，wasakintolove！Ifsohewascertainlyindangeroflovingher，forhepitiedherprofoundly。TothinkofherdriftingaboutEuropesohandicappedandlonely！’Ihopetogoodnessshe’llkeepherhead！’
hethought；’shemighteasilygrowdesperate。’Infact，nowthatshehadcutloosefromherpoorthreadsofoccupation，hecouldn’timaginehowshewouldgoon——sobeautifulacreature，hopeless，andfairgameforanyone！Inhisexasperationwasmorethanalittlefearandjealousy。Womendidstrangethingswhentheyweredrivenintocorners。’IwonderwhatSoameswilldonow！’hethought。’A
rotten，idioticstateofthings！AndIsupposetheywouldsayitwasherownfault。’Verypreoccupiedandsoreatheart，hegotintohistrain，mislaidhisticket，andontheplatformatOxfordtookhishatofftoaladywhosefaceheseemedtorememberwithoutbeingabletoputanametoher，notevenwhenhesawherhavingteaattheRainbow。
CHAPTERIV
WHEREFORSYTESFEARTOTREAD
Quiveringfromthedefeatofhishopes，withthegreenmoroccocasestillflatagainsthisheart，Soamesrevolvedthoughtsbitterasdeath。Aspider’sweb！Walkingfast，andnotingnothinginthemoonlight，hebroodedoverthescenehehadbeenthrough，overthememoryofherfigurerigidinhisgrasp。Andthemorehebrooded，themorecertainhebecamethatshehadalover——herwords，’I
wouldsoonerdie！’wereridiculousifshehadnot。Evenifshehadneverlovedhim，shehadmadenofussuntilBosinneycameonthescene。No；shewasinloveagain，orshewouldnothavemadethatmelodramaticanswertohisproposal，whichinallthecircumstanceswasreasonable！Verywell！Thatsimplifiedmatters。
’I’lltakestepstoknowwhereIam，’hethought；’I’llgotoPolteed’sthefirstthingtomorrowmorning。’
Buteveninformingthatresolutionheknewhewouldhavetroublewithhimself。HehademployedPolteed’sagencyseveraltimesintheroutineofhisprofession，evenquitelatelyoverDartie’scase，buthehadneverthoughtitpossibletoemploythemtowatchhisownwife。
Itwastooinsultingtohimself！
Hesleptoverthatprojectandhiswoundedpride——orrather，keptvigil。OnlywhileshavingdidhesuddenlyrememberthatshecalledherselfbyhermaidennameofHeron。Polteedwouldnotknow，atfirstatallevents，whosewifeshewas，wouldnotlookathimobsequiouslyandleerbehindhisback。Shewouldjustbethewifeofoneofhisclients。Andthatwouldbetrue——forwashenothisownsolicitor?
Hewasliterallyafraidnottoputhisdesignintoexecutionatthefirstpossiblemoment，lest，afterall，hemightfailhimself。AndmakingWarmsonbringhimanearlycupofcoffee；hestoleoutofthehousebeforethehourofbreakfast。HewalkedrapidlytooneofthosesmallWestEndstreetswherePolteed’sandotherfirmsministeredtothevirtuesofthewealthierclasses。HithertohehadalwayshadPolteedtoseehiminthePoultry；buthewellknewtheiraddress，andreacheditattheopeninghour。Intheouteroffice，aroomfurnishedsocosilythatitmighthavebeenamoney-lender’s，hewasattendedbyaladywhomighthavebeenaschoolmistress。”IwishtoseeMr。ClaudPolteed。Heknowsme——nevermindmyname。”
Tokeepeverybodyfromknowingthathe，SoamesForsyte，wasreducedtohavinghiswifespiedon，wastheoverpoweringconsideration。
Mr。ClaudPolteed——sodifferentfromMr。LewisPolteed——wasoneofthosemenwithdarkhair，slightlycurvednoses，andquickbrowneyes，whomightbetakenforJewsbutarereallyPhoenicians；hereceivedSoamesinaroomhushedbythicknessofcarpetandcurtains。Itwas，infact，confidentiallyfurnished，withouttraceofdocumentanywheretobeseen。
GreetingSoamesdeferentially，heturnedthekeyintheonlydoorwithacertainostentation。”Ifaclientsendsforme，”hewasinthehabitofsaying，”hetakeswhatprecautionhelikes。Ifhecomeshere，weconvincehimthatwehavenoleakages。Imaysafelysayweleadinsecurity，ifinnothingelse……””Now，sir，whatcanIdoforyou?”
Soames’gorgehadrisensothathecouldhardlyspeak。Itwasabsolutelynecessarytohidefromthismanthathehadanybutprofessionalinterestinthematter；and，mechanically，hisfaceassumeditssidewaysmile。”I’vecometoyouearlylikethisbecausethere’snotanhourtolose”——ifhelostanhourhemightfailhimselfyet！”Haveyouareallytrustworthywomanfree?”
Mr。Polteedunlockedadrawer，producedamemorandum，ranhiseyesoverit，andlockedthedrawerupagain。”Yes，”hesaid；”theverywoman。”
Soameshadseatedhimselfandcrossedhislegs——nothingbutafaintflush，whichmighthavebeenhisnormalcomplexion，betrayedhim。”Sendheroffatonce，then，towatchaMrs。IreneHeronofFlatC，TruroMansions，Chelsea，tillfurthernotice。””Precisely，”saidMr。Polteed；”divorce，Ipresume?”andheblewintoaspeaking-tube。”Mrs。Blanchin?Ishallwanttospeaktoherintenminutes。””Dealwithanyreportsyourself，”resumedSoames，”andsendthemtomepersonally，markedconfidential，sealedandregistered。Myclientexactstheutmostsecrecy。”
Mr。Polteedsmiled，asthoughsaying，’Youareteachingyourgrandmother，mydearsir；andhiseyesslidoverSoames’faceforoneunprofessionalinstant。”Makehismindperfectlyeasy，”hesaid。”Doyousmoke?””No，”saidSoames。”Understandme：Nothingmaycomeofthis。Ifanamegetsout，orthewatchingissuspected，itmayhaveveryseriousconsequences。”
Mr。Polteednodded。”Icanputitintotheciphercategory。Underthatsystemanameisnevermentioned；weworkbynumbers。”
Heunlockedanotherdrawerandtookouttwoslipsofpaper，wroteonthem，andhandedonetoSoames。”Keepthat，sir；it’syourkey。Iretainthisduplicate。Thecasewe’llcall7x。Thepartywatchedwillbe17；thewatcher19；theMansions25；yourself——Ishouldsay，yourfirm——31；myfirm32，myself2。IncaseyoushouldhavetomentionyourclientinwritingIhavecalledhim43；anypersonwesuspectwillbe47；
asecondperson51。Anyspecialhintorinstructionwhilewe’reaboutit?””No，”saidSoames；”thatis——everyconsiderationcompatible。”
AgainMr。Polteednodded。”Expense?”
Soamesshrugged。”Inreason，”heansweredcurtly，andgotup。”Keepitentirelyinyourownhands。””Entirely，”saidMr。Polteed，appearingsuddenlybetweenhimandthedoor。”Ishallbeseeingyouinthatothercasebeforelong。
Goodmorning，sir。”HiseyesslidunprofessionallyoverSoamesoncemore，andheunlockedthedoor。”Goodmorning，”saidSoames，lookingneithertorightnorleft。
Outinthestreethesworedeeply，quietly，tohimself。Aspider’sweb，andtocutithemustusethisspidery，secret，uncleanmethod，soutterlyrepugnanttoonewhoregardedhisprivatelifeashismostsacredpieceofproperty。Butthediewascast，hecouldnotgoback。AndhewentonintothePoultry，andlockedawaythegreenmoroccocaseandthekeytothatcipherdestinedtomakecrystal-clearhisdomesticbankruptcy。
Oddthatonewhoselifewasspentinbringingtothepubliceyealltheprivatecoilsofproperty，thedomesticdisagreementsofothers，shoulddreadsoutterlythepubliceyeturnedonhisown；
andyetnotodd，forwhoshouldknowsowellashethewholeunfeelingprocessoflegalregulation。
Heworkedhardallday。Winifredwasdueatfouro’clock；hewastotakeherdowntoaconferenceintheTemplewithDreamerQ。C。，andwaitingforherhere-readtheletterhehadcausedhertowritethedayofDartie’sdeparture，requiringhimtoreturn。”DEARMONTAGUE，”IhavereceivedyourletterwiththenewsthatyouhaveleftmeforeverandareonyourwaytoBuenosAires。Ithasnaturallybeenagreatshock。IamtakingthisearliestopportunityofwritingtotellyouthatIampreparedtoletbygonesbebygonesifyouwillreturntomeatonce。Ibegyoutodoso。Iamverymuchupset，andwillnotsayanymorenow。IamsendingthisletterregisteredtotheaddressyouleftatyourClub。Pleasecabletome。”Yourstillaffectionatewife，”WINIFREDDARTIE。”
Ugh！Whatbitterhumbug！HerememberedleaningoverWinifredwhileshecopiedwhathehadpencilled，andhowshehadsaid，layingdownherpen，”Supposehecomes，Soames！”insuchastrangetoneofvoice，asifshedidnotknowherownmind。”Hewon’tcome，”hehadanswered，”tillhe’sspenthismoney。That’swhywemustactatonce。”AnnexedtothecopyofthatletterwastheoriginalofDartie’sdrunkenscrawlfromtheIseeumClub。Soamescouldhavewishedithadnotbeensomanifestlypennedinliquor。
JustthesortofthingtheCourtwouldpitchon。HeseemedtoheartheJudge’svoicesay：”Youtookthisseriously！Seriouslyenoughtowritehimasyoudid?Doyouthinkhemeantit?”Nevermind！
ThefactwasclearthatDartiehadsailedandhadnotreturned。
Annexedalsowashiscabledanswer：”Impossiblereturn。Dartie。”