Thesuit——DartieversusDartie——forrestitutionofthoseconjugalrightsconcerningwhichWinifredwasatheartsodeeplyundecided，followedthelawsofsubtractiontowardsdayofjudgment。ThiswasnotreachedbeforetheCourtsroseforChristmas，butthecasewasthirdonthelistwhentheysatagain。WinifredspenttheChristmasholidaysathoughtmorefashionablythanusual，withthematterlockedupinherlow-cutbosom。JameswasparticularlyliberaltoherthatChristmas，expressingtherebyhissympathy，andrelief，attheapproachingdissolutionofhermarriagewiththat’preciousrascal，’whichhisoldheartfeltbuthisoldlipscouldnotutter。
ThedisappearanceofDartiemadethefallinConsolsacomparativelysmallmatter；andastothescandal——therealanimushefeltagainstthatfellow，andtheincreasingleadwhichpropertywasattainingoverreputationinatrueForsyteabouttoleavethisworld，servedtodrugamindfromwhichallallusionstothematterexcepthisownwerestudiouslykept。WhatworriedhimasalawyerandaparentwasthefearthatDartiemightsuddenlyturnupandobeytheOrderoftheCourtwhenmade。Thatwouldbeaprettyhow-de-do！Thefearpreyedonhiminfactsomuchthat，inpresentingWinifredwithalargeChristmascheque，hesaid：”It’schieflyforthatchapoutthere；tokeephimfromcomingback。”Itwas，ofcourse，topitchawaygoodmoney，butallinthenatureofinsuranceagainstthatbankruptcywhichwouldnolongerhangoverhimifonlythedivorcewentthrough；andhequestionedWinifredrigorouslyuntilshecouldassurehimthatthemoneyhadbeensent。
Poorwoman！——itcosthermanyapangtosendwhatmustfinditswayintothevanity-bagof’thatcreature！’Soames，hearingofit，shookhishead。TheywerenotdealingwithaForsyte，reasonablytenaciousofhispurpose。Itwasveryriskywithoutknowinghowthelandlayoutthere。Still，itwouldlookwellwiththeCourt；
andhewouldseethatDreamerbroughtitout。”Iwonder，”hesaidsuddenly，”wherethatballetgoesaftertheArgentine”；neveromittingachanceofreminder；forheknewthatWinifredstillhadaweakness，ifnotforDartie，atleastfornotlaunderinghiminpublic。Thoughnotgoodatshowingadmiration，headmittedthatshewasbehavingextremelywell，withallherchildrenathomegapinglikeyoungbirdsfornewsoftheirfather——Imogenjustonthepointofcomingout，andValveryrestiveaboutthewholething。HefeltthatValwastherealheartofthemattertoWinifred，whocertainlylovedhimbeyondherotherchildren。Theboycouldspokethewheelofthisdivorceyetifhesethismindtoit。AndSoameswasverycarefultokeeptheproximityofthepreliminaryproceedingsfromhisnephew’sears。Hedidmore。HeaskedhimtodineattheRemove，andoverVal’scigarintroducedthesubjectwhichheknewtobenearesttohisheart。”Ihear，”hesaid，”thatyouwanttoplaypoloupatOxford。”
Valbecamelessrecumbentinhischair。”Rather！”hesaid。”Well，”continuedSoames，”that’saveryexpensivebusiness。Yourgrandfatherisn’tlikelytoconsenttoitunlesshecanmakesurethathe’snotgotanyotherdrainonhim。”Andhepausedtoseewhethertheboyunderstoodhismeaning。
Val’sthickdarklashesconcealedhiseyes，butaslightgrimaceappearedonhiswidemouth，andhemuttered：”IsupposeyoumeanmyDad！””Yes，”saidSoames；”I’mafraiditdependsonwhetherhecontinuestobeadragornot；”andsaidnomore，lettingtheboydreamitover。
ButValwasalsodreaminginthosedaysofasilver-roanpalfreyandagirlridingit。ThoughCrumwasintownandanintroductiontoCynthiaDarktobehadfortheasking，Valdidnotask；indeed，heshunnedCrumandlivedalifestrangeeventohimself，exceptinsofarasaccountswithtailorandliverystablewereconcerned。
Tohismother，hissisters，hisyoungbrother，heseemedtospendthisVacationin’seeingfellows，’andhiseveningssleepilyathome。Theycouldnotproposeanythingindaylightthatdidnotmeetwiththeoneresponse：”Sorry；I’vegottoseeafellow”；andhewasputtoextraordinaryshiftstogetinandoutofthehouseunobservedinridingclothes；until，beingmadeamemberoftheGoat’sClub，hewasabletotransportthemthere，wherehecouldchangeunregardedandslipoffonhishacktoRichmondPark。Hekepthisgrowingsentimentreligiouslytohimself。Notforaworldwouldhebreathetothe’fellows，’whomhewasnot’seeing，’
anythingsoridiculousfromthepointofviewoftheircreedandhis。Buthecouldnothelpitsdestroyinghisotherappetites。Itwascomingbetweenhimandthelegitimatepleasuresofyouthatlastonitsowninawaywhichmust，heknew，makehimamilksopintheeyesofCrum。Allhecaredforwastodressinhislast-
createdridingtogs，andstealawaytotheRobinHillGate，wherepresentlythesilverroanwouldcomedemurelysidlingwithitsslimanddark-hairedrider，andinthegladesbareofleavestheywouldgooffsidebyside，nottalkingverymuch，ridingracessometimes，andsometimesholdinghands。Morethanonceofanevening，inamomentofexpansion，hehadbeentemptedtotellhismotherhowthisshysweetcousinhadstoleninuponhimandwreckedhis’life。’Butbitterexperience，thatallpersonsabovethirty-fivewerespoil-sports，preventedhim。Afterall，hesupposedhewouldhavetogothroughwithCollege，andshewouldhaveto’comeout，’
beforetheycouldbemarried；sowhycomplicatethings，solongashecouldseeher?Sisterswereteasingandunsympatheticbeings，abrotherworse，sotherewasnooneto，confidein。Ah！Andthisbeastlydivorcebusiness！Whatamisfortunetohaveanamewhichotherpeoplehadn’t！IfonlyhehadbeencalledGordonorScottorHowardorsomethingfairlycommon！ButDartie——therewasn’tanotherinthedirectory！OnemightaswellhavebeennamedMorkinforallthecovertitafforded！Somatterswenton，tillonedayinthemiddleofJanuarythesilver-roanpalfreyanditsriderweremissingatthetryst。Lingeringinthecold，hedebatedwhetherheshouldrideontothehouse：ButJollymightbethere，andthememoryoftheirdarkencounterwasstillfreshwithinhim。Onecouldnotbealwaysfightingwithherbrother！Sohereturneddismallytotownandspentaneveningplungedingloom。Atbreakfastnextdayhenoticedthathismotherhadonanunfamiliardressandwaswearingherhat。Thedresswasblackwithaglimpseofpeacockblue，thehatblackandlarge——shelookedexceptionallywell。Butwhenafterbreakfastshesaidtohim，”Comeinhere，Val，”andledthewaytothedrawing-room，hewasatoncebesetbyqualms。Winifredcarefullyshutthedoorandpassedherhandkerchiefoverherlips；inhalingtheviolettedeParmewithwhichithadbeensoaked，Valthought：’HasshefoundoutaboutHolly?’
Hervoiceinterrupted”Areyougoingtobenicetome，dearboy?”Valgrinneddoubtfully。”Willyoucomewithmethismorning……””I’vegottosee……”beganVal，butsomethinginherfacestoppedhim。”Isay，”hesaid，”youdon’tmean……””Yes，IhavetogototheCourtthismorning。”Already！——thatd——dbusinesswhichhehadalmostsucceededinforgetting，sincenobodyevermentionedit。Inself-commiserationhestoodpickinglittlebitsofskinoffhisfingers。Thennoticingthathismother’slipswereallawry，hesaidimpulsively：”Allright，mother；I’llcome。Thebrutes！”Whatbruteshedidnotknow，buttheexpressionexactlysummeduptheirjointfeeling，andrestoredameasureofequanimity。”IsupposeI’dbetterchangeintoa’shooter，”’hemuttered，escapingtohisroom。Heputonthe’shooter，’ahighercollar，apearlpin，andhisneatestgreyspats，toasomewhatblasphemousaccompaniment。Lookingathimselfintheglass，hesaid，”Well，I’mdamnedifI’mgoingtoshowanything！”andwentdown。Hefoundhisgrandfather’scarriageatthedoor，andhismotherinfurs，withtheappearanceofonegoingtoaMansionHouseAssembly。Theyseatedthemselvessidebysideintheclosedbarouche，andallthewaytotheCourtsofJusticeValmadebutoneallusiontothebusinessinhand。”There’llbenothingaboutthosepearls，willthere?”
ThelittletuftedwhitetailsofWinifred’smuffbegantoshiver。”Oh，no，”shesaid，”it’llbequiteharmlessto-day。Yourgrandmotherwantedtocometoo，butIwouldn’tlether。Ithoughtyoucouldtakecareofme。Youlooksonice，Val。Justpullyourcoatcollarupalittlemoreattheback——that’sright。””Iftheybullyyou……”beganVal。”Oh！theywon’t。Ishallbeverycool。It’stheonlyway。””Theywon’twantmetogiveevidenceoranything?””No，dear；it’sallarranged。”Andshepattedhishand。ThedeterminedfrontshewasputtingonitstayedtheturmoilinVal’schest，andhebusiedhimselfindrawinghisglovesoffandon。Hehadtakenwhathenowsawwasthewrongpairtogowithhisspats；
theyshouldhavebeengrey，butweredeerskinofadarktan；
whethertokeepthemonornothecouldnotdecide。Theyarrivedsoonafterten。ItwashisfirstvisittotheLawCourts，andthebuildingstruckhimatonce。”ByJove！”hesaidastheypassedintothehall，”this’dmakefourorfivejollygoodracketcourts。”
Soameswasawaitingthematthefootofsomestairs。”Hereyouare！”hesaid，withoutshakinghands，asiftheeventhadmadethemtoofamiliarforsuchformalities。”It’sHapperlyBrowne，CourtI。Weshallbeonfirst。”
AsensationsuchashehadknownwhengoingintobatwasplayingnowinthetopofVal’schest，buthefollowedhismotheranduncledoggedly，lookingatnomorethanhecouldhelp，andthinkingthattheplacesmelled’fuggy。’Peopleseemedtobelurkingeverywhere，andhepluckedSoamesbythesleeve。”Isay，Uncle，you’renotgoingtoletthosebeastlypapersin，areyou?”
Soamesgavehimthesidewaylookwhichhadreducedmanytosilenceinitstime。”Inhere，”hesaid。”Youneedn’ttakeoffyourfurs，Winifred。”
Valenteredbehindthem，nettledandwithhisheadup。Inthisconfoundedholeeverybodyandtherewereagoodmanyofthem——
seemedsittingoneverybodyelse’sknee，thoughreallydividedfromeachotherbypews；andValhadafeelingthattheymightallslipdowntogetherintothewell。This，however，wasbutamomentaryvision——ofmahogany，andblackgowns，andwhiteblobsofwigsandfacesandpapers，allrathersecretandwhispery——beforehewassittingnexthismotherinthefrontrow，withhisbacktoitall，gladofherviolettedeParme，andtakingoffhisglovesforthelasttime。Hismotherwaslookingathim；hewassuddenlyconsciousthatshehadreallywantedhimtherenexttoher，andthathecountedforsomethinginthisbusiness。
Allright！Hewouldshowthem！Squaringhisshoulders，hecrossedhislegsandgazedinscrutablyathisspats。Butjustthenan’oldJohnny’inagownandlongwig，lookingawfullylikeafunnyraddledwoman，camethroughadoorintothehighpewopposite，andhehadtouncrosshislegshastily，andstandupwitheverybodyelse。
’DartieversusDartie！’
ItseemedtoValunspeakablydisgustingtohaveone’snamecalledoutlikethisinpublic！And，suddenlyconsciousthatsomeonenearlybehindhimhadbeguntalkingabouthisfamily，hescrewedhisfaceroundtoseeanoldbe-wiggedbuffer，whospokeasifhewereeatinghisownwords——queer-lookingoldcuss，thesortofmanhehadseenonceortwicediningatParkLaneandpunishingtheport；heknewnowwherethey’dugthemup。’Allthesamehefoundtheoldbufferquitefascinating，andwouldhavecontinuedtostareifhismotherhadnottouchedhisarm。Reducedtogazingbeforehim，hefixedhiseyesontheJudge’sfaceinstead。Whyshouldthatold’sportsman’withhissarcasticmouthandhisquick-movingeyeshavethepowertomeddlewiththeirprivateaffairs——hadn’theaffairsofhisown，justasmany，andprobablyjustasnasty?AndtheremovedinVal，likeanillness，allthedeep-seatedindividualismofhisbreed。Thevoicebehindhimdronedalong：”Differencesaboutmoneymatters——extravaganceoftherespondent”
Whataword！Wasthathisfather?”strainedsituation——frequentabsencesonthepartofMr。Dartie。Myclient，veryrightly，yourLudshipwillagree，wasanxioustocheckacourse——butleadtoruin——remonstrated——gamblingatcardsandontheracecourse——”