TheresolutiontobecomeaRedCrossnurse，takenunderstimulusofJolly’senlistment，hadbeenloyallyfulfilledwiththeirritationandregretwhichallForsytesfeelatwhatcurtailstheirindividualliberties。Enthusiasticatfirstaboutthe’wonderfulness’ofthework，shehadbegunafteramonthtofeelthatshecouldtrainherselfsomuchbetterthanotherscouldtrainher。AndifHollyhadnotinsistedonfollowingherexample，andbeingtrainedtoo，shemustinevitablyhave’criedoff。’ThedepartureofJollyandValwiththeirtroopinAprilhadfurtherstiffenedherfailingresolve。Butnow，onthepointofdeparture，thethoughtofleavingEricCobbley，withawifeandtwochildren，adriftinthecoldwatersofanunappreciativeworldweighedonhersothatshewasstillindangerofbackingout。Thereadingofthatcablegram，withitsdisquietingreality，clinchedthematter。
ShesawherselfalreadynursingJolly——forofcoursetheywouldlethernurseherownbrother！Jolyon——everwideanddoubtful——hadnosuchhope。PoorJune！
CouldanyForsyteofhergenerationgrasphowrudeandbrutallifewas?Eversinceheknewofhisboy’sarrivalatCapeTownthethoughtofhimhadbeenakindofrecurrentsicknessinJolyon。HecouldnotgetreconciledtothefeelingthatJollywasindangerallthetime。Thecablegram，gravethoughitwas，wasalmostarelief。Hewasnowsafefrombullets，anyway。Andyet——thisentericwasavirulentdisease！TheTimeswasfullofdeathstherefrom。Whycouldhenotbelyingoutthereinthatup-countryhospital，andhisboysafeathome?Theun-Forsyteanselfsacrificeofhisthreechildren，indeed，hadquitebewilderedJolyon。HewouldeagerlychangeplaceswithJolly，becausehelovedhisboy；
butnosuchpersonalmotivewasinfluencingthem。HecouldonlythinkthatitmarkedthedeclineoftheForsytetype。
LatethatafternoonHollycameouttohimundertheoldoak-tree。
Shehadgrownupverymuchduringtheselastmonthsofhospitaltrainingawayfromhome。And，seeingherapproach，hethought：
’ShehasmoresensethanJune，childthoughsheis；morewisdom。
ThankGodsheisn’tgoingout。’Shehadseatedherselfintheswing，verysilentandstill。’Shefeelsthis，’thoughtJolyon，’asmuchasI’and，seeinghereyesfixedonhim，hesaid：”Don’ttakeittohearttoomuch，mychild。Ifheweren’till，hemightbeinmuchgreaterdanger。”
Hollygotoutoftheswing。”Iwanttotellyousomething，Dad。ItwasthroughmethatJollyenlistedandwentout。””How’sthat?””WhenyouwereawayinParis，ValDartieandIfellinlove。WeusedtorideinRichmondPark；wegotengaged。Jollyfounditout，andthoughtheoughttostopit；sohedaredValtoenlist。Itwasallmyfault，Dad；andIwanttogoouttoo。BecauseifanythinghappenstoeitherofthemIshouldfeelawful。Besides，I’mjustasmuchtrainedasJune。”
Jolyongazedatherinastupefactionthatwastingedwithirony。
Sothiswastheanswertotheriddlehehadbeenaskinghimself；
andhisthreechildrenwereForsytesafterall。SurelyHollymighthavetoldhimallthisbefore！Buthesmotheredthesarcasticsayingsonhislips。Tendernesstotheyoungwasperhapsthemostsacredarticleofhisbelief。Hehadgot，nodoubt，whathedeserved。Engaged！Sothiswaswhyhehadsolosttouchwithher！
AndtoyoungValDartie——nephewofSoames——intheothercamp！Itwasallterriblydistasteful。Heclosedhiseasel，andsethisdrawingagainstthetree。”HaveyoutoldJune?””Yes；shesaysshe’llgetmeintohercabinsomehow。It’sasinglecabin；butoneofuscouldsleeponthefloor。Ifyouconsent，she’llgoupnowandgetpermission。”
’Consent?’thoughtJolyon。’Ratherlateinthedaytoaskforthat！’Butagainhecheckedhimself。”You’retooyoung，mydear；theywon’tletyou。””JuneknowssomepeoplethatshehelpedtogotoCapeTown。Iftheywon’tletmenurseyet，Icouldstaywiththemandgoontrainingthere。Letmego，Dad！”
Jolyonsmiledbecausehecouldhavecried。”Ineverstopanyonefromdoinganything，”hesaid。
Hollyflungherarmsroundhisneck。”Oh！Dad，youarethebestintheworld。”
’Thatmeanstheworst，’thoughtJolyon。Ifhehadeverdoubtedhiscreedoftolerancehedidsothen。”I’mnotfriendlywithVal’sfamily，”hesaid，”andIdon’tknowVal，butJollydidn’tlikehim。”
Hollylookedatthedistanceandsaid：”Ilovehim。””Thatsettlesit，”saidJolyondryly，thencatchingtheexpressiononherface，hekissedher，withthethought：’Isanythingmorepatheticthanthefaithoftheyoung?’Unlessheactuallyforbadehergoingitwasobviousthathemustmakethebestofit，sohewentuptotownwithJune。Whetherduetoherpersistence，orthefactthattheofficialtheysawwasanoldschoolfriendofJolyon’s，theyobtainedpermissionforHollytosharethesinglecabin。HetookthemtoSurbitonstationthefollowingevening，andtheydulyslidawayfromhim，providedwithmoney，invalidfoods，andthoselettersofcreditwithoutwhichForsytesdonottravel。
HedrovebacktoRobinHillunderabrilliantskytohislatedinner，servedwithanaddedcarebyservantstryingtoshowhimthattheysympathised，eatenwithanaddedscrupulousnesstoshowthemthatheappreciatedtheirsympathy。Butitwasarealrelieftogettohiscigarontheterraceofflag-stones——cunninglychosenbyyoungBosinneyforshapeandcolour——withnightclosinginaroundhim，sobeautifulanight，hardlywhisperinginthetrees，andsmellingsosweetthatitmadehimache。Thegrasswasdrenchedwithdew，andhekepttothoseflagstones，upanddown，tillpresentlyitbegantoseemtohimthathewasoneofthree，notwheeling，butturningrightaboutateachend，sothathisfatherwasalwaysnearesttothehouse，andhissonalwaysnearesttotheterraceedge。Eachhadanarmlightlywithinhisarm；hedarednotlifthishandtohiscigarlestheshoulddisturbthem，anditburnedaway，drippingashonhim，tillitdroppedfromhislips，atlast，whichweregettinghot。Theylefthimthen，andhisarmsfeltchilly。ThreeJolyonsinoneJolyontheyhadwalked。
Hestoodstill，countingthesounds——acarriagepassingonthehighroad，adistanttrain，thedogatGage’sfarm，thewhisperingtrees，thegroomplayingonhispennywhistle。Amultitudeofstarsupthere——brightandsilent，sofaroff！Nomoonasyet！
Justenoughlighttoshowhimthedarkflagsandswordsoftheirisflowersalongtheterraceedge——hisfavouriteflowerthathadthenight’sowncolouronitscurvingcrumpledpetals。Heturnedroundtothehouse。Big，unlighted，notasoulbesidehimselftoliveinallthatpartofit。Starkloneliness！Hecouldnotgoonlivingherealone。Andyet，solongastherewasbeauty，whyshouldamanfeellonely?Theanswer——astosomeidiot’sriddle——was：Becausehedid。Thegreaterthebeauty，thegreatertheloneliness，foratthebackofbeautywasharmony，andatthebackofharmonywas——
union。Beautycouldnotcomfortifthesoulwereoutofit。Thenight，maddeninglylovely，withbloomofgrapesonitinstarshine，andthebreathofgrassandhoneycomingfromit，hecouldnotenjoy，whileshewhowastohimthelifeofbeauty，itsembodimentandessence，wascutofffromhim，utterlycutoffnow，hefelt，byhonourabledecency。
Hemadeapoorfistofsleeping，strivingtoohardafterthatresignationwhichForsytesfinddifficulttoreach，bredtotheirownwayandleftsocomfortablyoffbytheirfathers。Butafterdawnhedozedoff，andsoonwasdreamingastrangedream。
Hewasonastagewithimmenselyhighrichcurtains——highastheverystars——stretchinginasemi——circlefromfootlightstofootlights。Hehimselfwasverysmall，alittleblackrestlessfigureroamingupanddown；andtheoddthingwasthathewasnotaltogetherhimself，butSoamesaswell，sothathewasnotonlyexperiencingbutwatching。ThisfigureofhimselfandSoameswastryingtofindawayoutthroughthecurtains，which，heavyanddark，kepthimin。Severaltimeshehadcrossedinfrontofthembeforehesawwithdelightasuddennarrowrift——atallchinkofbeautythecolourofirisflowers，likeaglimpseofParadise，remote，ineffable。Steppingquicklyforwardtopassintoit，hefoundthecurtainsclosingbeforehim。Bitterlydisappointedhe——
orwasitSoames?——movedon，andtherewasthechinkagainthroughthepartedcurtains，whichagainclosedtoosoon。Thiswentonandonandhenevergotthroughtillhewokewiththeword”Irene”onhislips。Thedreamdisturbedhimbadly，especiallythatidentificationofhimselfwithSoames。
Nextmorning，findingitimpossibletowork，hespenthoursridingJolly’shorseinsearchoffatigue。AndontheseconddayhemadeuphismindtomovetoLondonandseeifhecouldnotgetpermissiontofollowhisdaughterstoSouthAfrica。Hehadjustbeguntopackthefollowingmorningwhenhereceivedthisletter：”GREENHOTEL，”June13。”RICHMOND。”MYDEARJOLYON，”YouwillbesurprisedtoseehownearIamtoyou。Parisbecameimpossible——andIhavecomeheretobewithinreachofyouradvice。
Iwouldsolovetoseeyouagain。SinceyouleftParisIdon’tthinkIhavemetanyoneIcouldreallytalkto。Isallwellwithyouandwithyourboy?Nooneknows，Ithink，thatIamhereatpresent。”Alwaysyourfriend，”IRENE。”
Irenewithinthreemilesofhim！——andagaininflight！Hestoodwithaveryqueersmileonhislips。Thiswasmorethanhehadbargainedfor！
AboutnoonhesetoutonfootacrossRichmondPark，andashewentalong，hethought：’RichmondPark！ByJove，itsuitsusForsytes！’
NotthatForsyteslivedthere——nobodylivedtheresaveroyalty，rangers，andthedeer——butinRichmondParkNaturewasallowedtogosofarandnofurther，puttingupabraveshowofbeingnatural，seemingtosay：’Lookatmyinstincts——theyarealmostpassions，verynearlyoutofhand，butnotquite，ofcourse；theveryhubofpossessionistopossessoneself。’Yes！RichmondParkpossesseditself，evenonthatbrightdayofJune，witharrowycuckoosshiftingthetree-pointsoftheircalls，andthewooddovesannouncinghighsummer。
TheGreenHotel，whichJolyonenteredatoneo’clock，stoodnearlyoppositethatmorefamoushostelry，theCrownandSceptre；itwasmodest，highlyrespectable，neveroutofcoldbeef，gooseberrytart，andadowagerortwo，sothatacarriageandpairwasalmostalwaysstandingbeforethedoor。
Inaroomdrapedinchintzsoslipperyastoforbidallemotion，Irenewassittingonapianostoolcoveredwithcrewelwork，playing’HanselandGretel’outofanoldscore。Aboveheronawall，notyetMorris-papered，wasaprintoftheQueenonapony，amongstdeer-hounds，Scotch。caps，andslainstags；besideherinapotonthewindow-sillwasawhiteandrosyfuchsia。TheVictorianismoftheroomalmosttalked；andinherclingingfrockIreneseemedtoJolyonlikeVenusemergingfromtheshellofthepastcentury。