man of property-第3节

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t　Timothy's　commodious；　red…brick　residence　in　Bayswater；　overlooking　the　Park；　where　dwelt　Aunts　Ann；　Juley；　and　Hester。

The　uneasiness　of　the　Forsyte　family　has　been　justified　by　the　simple　mention　of　the　hat。　　How　impossible　and　wrong　would　it　have　been　for　any　family；　with　the　regard　for　appearances　which　should　ever　characterize；　the　great　upper　middle…class；　to　feel　otherwise　than　uneasy！

The　author　of　the　uneasiness　stood　talking　to　June　by　the　further　door；　his　curly　hair　had　a　rumpled　appearance；　as　though　he　found　what　was　going　on　around　him　unusual。　　He　had　an　air；　too；　of　having　a　joke　all　to　himself。　　George；　speaking　aside　to　his　brother；　Eustace；　said：

〃Looks　as　if　he　might　make　a　bolt　of　itthe　dashing　Buccaneer！〃

This　'very　singular…looking　man；'　as　Mrs。　Small　afterwards　called　him；　was　of　medium　height　and　strong　build；　with　a　pale；　brown　face；　a　dust…coloured　moustache；　very　prominent　cheek…bones；　and　hollow　checks。　　His　forehead　sloped　back　towards　the　crown　of　his　head；　and　bulged　out　in　bumps　over　the　eyes；　like　foreheads　seen　in　the　Lion…house　at　the　Zoo。　　He　had　sherry…coloured　eyes；　disconcertingly　inattentive　at　times。　　Old　Jolyon's　coachman；　after　driving　June　and　Bosinney　to　the　theatre；　had　remarked　to　the　butler：

〃I　dunno　what　to　make　of　'im。　　Looks　to　me　for　all　the　world　like　an　'alf…tame　leopard。〃　And　every　now　and　then　a　Forsyte　would　come　up；　sidle　round；　and　take　a　look　at　him。

June　stood　in　front；　fending　off　this　idle　curiositya　little　bit　of　a　thing；　as　somebody　once　said；　'all　hair　and　spirit；'　with　fearless　blue　eyes；　a　firm　jaw；　and　a　bright　colour；　whose　face　and　body　seemed　too　slender　for　her　crown　of　red…gold　hair。

A　tall　woman；　with　a　beautiful　figure；　which　some　member　of　the　family　had　once　compared　to　a　heathen　goddess；　stood　looking　at　these　two　with　a　shadowy　smile。

Her　hands；　gloved　in　French　grey；　were　crossed　one　over　the　other；　her　grave；　charming　face　held　to　one　side；　and　the　eyes　of　all　men　near　were　fastened　on　it。　　Her　figure　swayed；　so　balanced　that　the　very　air　seemed　to　set　it　moving。　　There　was　warmth；　but　little　colour；　in　her　cheeks；　her　large；　dark　eyes　were　soft。

But　it　was　at　her　lipsasking　a　question；　giving　an　answer；　with　that　shadowy　smilethat　men　looked；　they　were　sensitive　lips；　sensuous　and　sweet；　and　through　them　seemed　to　come　warmth　and　perfume　like　the　warmth　and　perfume　of　a　flower。

The　engaged　couple　thus　scrutinized　were　unconscious　of　this　passive　goddess。　　It　was　Bosinney　who　first　noticed　her；　and　asked　her　name。

June　took　her　lover　up　to　the　woman　with　the　beautiful　figure。

〃Irene　is　my　greatest　chum；〃　she　said：　〃Please　be　good　friends；　you　two！〃

At　the　little　lady's　command　they　all　three　smiled；　and　while　they　were　smiling；　Soames　Forsyte；　silently　appearing　from　behind　the　woman　with　the　beautiful　figure；　who　was　his　wife；　said：

〃Ah！　　introduce　me　too！〃

He　was　seldom；　indeed；　far　from　Irene's　side　at　public　functions；　and　even　when　separated　by；　the　exigencies　of　social　intercourse；　could　be　seen　following　her　about　with　his　eyes；　in　which　were　strange　expressions　of　watchfulness　and　longing。

At　the　window　his　father；　James；　was　still　scrutinizing　the　marks　on　the　piece　of　china。。

〃I　wonder　at　Jolyon's　allowing　this　engagement；〃　he　said　to　Aunt　Ann。　　〃They　tell　me　there's　no　chance　of　their　getting　married　for　years。　　This　young　Bosinney〃　（he　made　the　word　a　dactyl　in　opposition　to　general　usage　of　a　short　o）　〃has　got　nothing。　　When　Winifred　married　Dartie；　I　made　him　bring　every　penny　into　settlementlucky　thing；　toothey'd　ha'　had　nothing　by　this　time！〃

Aunt　Ann　looked　up　from　her　velvet　chair。　　Grey　curls　banded　her　forehead；　curls　that；　unchanged　for　decades；　had　extinguished　in　the　family　all　sense　of　time。　　She　made　no　reply；　for　she　rarely　spoke；　husbanding　her　aged　voice；　but　to　James；　uneasy　of　conscience；　her　look　was　as　good　as　an　answer。

〃Well；〃　he　said；　〃I　couldn't　help　Irene's　having　no　money。　Soames　was　in　such　a　hurry；　he　got　quite　thin　dancing　attendance　on　her。〃

Putting　the　bowl　pettishly　down　on　the　piano；　he　let　his　eyes　wander　to　the　group　by　the　door。

〃It's　my　opinion；〃　he　said　unexpectedly；　〃that　it's　just　as　well

as　it　is。〃

Aunt　Ann　did　not　ask　him　to　explain　this　strange　utterance。　　She　knew　what　he　was　thinking。　　If　Irene　had　no　money　she　would　not　be　so　foolish　as　to　do　anything　wrong；　for　they　saidthey　said　she　had　been　asking　for　a　separate　room；　but；　of　course；　Soames　had　not。。。。

James　interrupted　her　reverie：

〃But　where；〃　he　asked；　〃was　Timothy？　　Hadn't　he　come　with　them？〃

Through　Aunt　Ann's　compressed　lips　a　tender　smile　forced　its　way：

〃No；　he　didn't　think　it　wise；　with　so　much　of　this　diphtheria　about；　and　he　so　liable　to　take　things。〃

James　answered：

〃Well；　be　takes　good　care　of　himself。　　I　can't　afford　to　take　the　care　of　myself　that　he　does。〃

Nor　was　it　easy　to　say　which；　of　admiration；　envy；　or　contempt；　was　dominant　in　that　remark。

Timothy；　indeed；　was　seldom　seen。　　The　baby　of　the　family；　a　publisher　by　profession；　he　had　some　years　before；　when　business　was　at　full　tide；　scented　out　the　stagnation　which；　indeed；　had　not　yet　come；　but　which　ultimately；　as　all　agreed；　was　bound　to　set　in；　and；　selling　his　share　in　a　firm　engaged　mainly　in　the　production　of　religious　books；　had　invested　the　quite　conspicuous　proceeds　in　three　per　cent。　consols。　　By　this　act　he　had　at　once　assumed　an　isolated　position；　no　other　Forsyte　being　content　with　less　than　four　per　cent。　　for　his　money；　and　this　isolation　had　slowly　and　surely　undermined　a　spirit　perhaps　better　than　commonly　endowed　with　caution。　　He　had　become　almost　a　mytha　kind　of　incarnation　of　security　haunting　the　background　of　the　Forsyte　universe。　　He　had　never　committed　the　imprudence　of　marrying；　or　encumbering　himself　in　any　way　with　children。

James　resumed；　tapping　the　piece　of　china：

〃This　isn't　real　old　Worcester。　　I　s'pose　Jolyon's　told　you　something　about　the　young　man。　　From　all　I　can　learn；　he's　got　no　business；　no　income；　and　no　connection　worth　speaking　of；　but　then；　I　know　nothingnobody　tells　me　anything。〃

Aunt　Ann　shook　her　head。　　Over　her　square…chinned；　aquiline　old　face　a　trembling　passed；　the　spidery　fingers　of　her　hands　pressed　against　each　other　and　interlaced；　as　though　she　were　subtly　recharging　her　will。

The　eldest　by　some　years　of　all　the　Forsytes；　she　held　a　peculiar　position　amongst　them。　　Opportunists　and　egotists　one　and　all　though　not；　indeed；　more　so　than　their　neighboursthey　quailed　before　her　incorruptible　figure；　and；　when　opportunities　were　too　strong；　what　could　they　do　but　avoid　her！

Twisting　his　long；　thin　legs；　James　went　on：

〃Jolyon；　he　will　have　his　own　way。　　He's　got　no　children〃and　stopped；　recollecting　the　continued　existence　of　old　Jolyon's　son；　young　Jolyon；　June's　father；　who　had　made　such　a　mess　of　it；　and　done　for　himself　by　deserting　his　wife　and　child　and　running　away　with　that　foreign　governess。　　〃Well；〃　he　resumed　hastily；　〃if　he　likes　to　do　these　things；　I　s'pose　he　can　afford　to。　　Now；　what's　he　going　to　give　her？　　I　s'pose　he'll　give　her　a　thousand　a　year；　he's　got　nobody　else　to　leave　his　money　to。〃

He　stretched　out　his　hand　to　meet　that　of　a　dapper；　clean…shaven　man；　with　hardly　a　hair　on　his　head；　a　long；　broken　nose；　full　lips；　and　cold　grey　eyes　under　rectangular　brows。

〃Well；　Nick；〃　he　muttered；　〃how　are　you？〃

Nicholas　Forsyte；　with　his　bird…like　rapidity　and　the　look　of　a　preternaturally　sage　schoolboy　（he　had　made　a　large　fortune；　quite　legitimately；　out　of　the　companies　of　which　he　was　a　director）；　placed　within　that　cold　palm　the　tips　of　his　still　colder　fingers　and　hastily　withdrew　them。

〃I'm　bad；〃　he　said；　pouting〃been　bad　all　the　week；　don't　sleep　at　night。　　The　doctor　can't　tell　why。　　He's　a　clever　fellow；　or　I　shouldn't　have　him；　but　I　get　nothing　out　of　him　but　bills。〃

〃Doctors！〃　said　James；　coming　down　sharp　on　his　words：　〃I've　had　all　the　doctors　in　London　for　one　or　another　of　us。　　There's　no　satisfaction　to　be　got　out　of　them；　they'll　tell　you　anything。　There's　Swithin；　now。　　What　good　have　they　done　him？　　There　he　is；　he's　bigger　than　ever；　he's　enormous；　they　can't　get　his　weight　down。　　Look　at　him！〃

Swithin　Forsyte；　tall；　square；　and　broad；　with　a　chest　like　a　pouter　pigeon's　in　its　plumage　of　bright　waistcoats；　came　strutting　towards　them。

〃Erhow　are　you？〃　he　said　in　his　dandified　way；　aspirating　the　'h'　strongly　（this　difficult　letter　was　almost　absolutely　safe　in　his　keeping）〃how　are　you？〃

Each　brother　wore　an　air　of　aggravation　as　he　looked　at　the　other　two；　knowing　by　experience　that　they　would　try　to　eclipse　his　ailments。

〃We　were　just　saying；〃　said　James；　〃that　you　don't　get　any　thinner。〃

Swithin　protruded　his　pale　round　eyes　with　the　effort　of　hearing。

〃Thinner？　　I'm　in　good　case；〃　he　said；　leaning　a　little　forward；　〃not　one　of　your　thread…papers　like　you！〃

But；　afraid　of　losing　the　expansion　of　his　chest；　he　leaned　back　again　into　a　state　of　immobility；　for　he　prized　nothing　so　highly　as　a　distinguished　appearance。

Aunt　Ann　turned　her　old　eyes　from　one　to　the　other。　　Indulgent　and　severe　was　her　look。　　In　turn　the　three　brothers　look