man of property-第30节

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He　had　long；　forgotten　those　days；　with　their　hopes　and　fears　and

doubts　about　the　prudence　of　the　match　（for　Emily；　though　pretty；　had　nothing；　and　he　himself　at　that　time　was　making　a　bare　thousand　a　year）；　and　that　strange；　irresistible　attraction　which　had　drawn　him　on；　till　he　felt　he　must　die　if　he　could　not　marry　the　girl　with　the　fair　hair；　looped　so　neatly　back；　the　fair　arms　emerging　from　a　skin…tight　bodice；　the　fair　form　decorously　shielded　by　a　cage　of　really　stupendous　circumference。

James　had　passed　through　the　fire；　but　he　had　passed　also　through　the　river　of　years　which　washes　out　the　fire；　he　had　experienced　the　saddest　experience　of　allforgetfulness　of　what　it　was　like　to　be　in　love。

Forgotten！　　Forgotten　so　long；　that　he　had　forgotten　even　that　he　had　forgotten。

And　now　this　rumour　had　come　upon　him；　this　rumour　about　his　son's　wife；　very　vague；　a　shadow　dodging　among　the　palpable；　straightforward　appearances　of　things；　unreal；　unintelligible　as　a　ghost；　but　carrying　with　it；　like　a　ghost；　inexplicable　terror。

He　tried　to　bring　it　home　to　his　mind；　but　it　was　no　more　use　than　trying　to　apply　to　himself　one　of　those　tragedies　he　read　of　daily　in　his　evening　paper。　　He　simply　could　not。　　There　could　be　nothing　in　it。　　It　was　all　their　nonsense。　　She　didn't　get　on　with　Soames　as　well　as　she　might；　but　she　was　a　good　little　thinga　good　little　thing！

Like　the　not　inconsiderable　majority　of　men；　James　relished　a　nice　little　bit　of　scandal；　and　would　say；　in　a　matter…of…fact　tone；　licking　his　lips；　〃Yes；　yesshe　and　young　Dyson；　they　tell　me　they're　living　at　Monte　Carlo！〃

But　the　significance　of　an　affair　of　this　sortof　its　past；　its　present；　or　its　futurehad　never　struck　him。　　What　it　meant；　what　torture　and　raptures　had　gone　to　its　construction；　what　slow；　overmastering　fate　had　lurked　within　the　facts；　very　naked；　sometimes　sordid；　but　generally　spicy；　presented　to　his　gaze。　　He　was　not　in　the　habit　of　blaming；　praising；　drawing　deductions；　or　generalizing　at　all　about　such　things；　he　simply　listened　rather　greedily；　and　repeated　what　he　was　told；　finding　considerable　benefit　from　the　practice；　as　from　the　consumption　of　a　sherry　and　bitters　before　a　meal。

Now；　however；　that　such　a　thingor　rather　the　rumour；　the　breath　of　ithad　come　near　him　personally；　he　felt　as　in　a　fog；　which　filled　his　mouth　full　of　a　bad；　thick　flavour；　and　made　it　difficult　to　draw　breath。

A　scandal！　　A　possible　scandal！

To　repeat　this　word　to　himself　thus　was　the　only　way　in　which　he　could　focus　or　make　it　thinkable。　　He　had　forgotten　the　sensations　necessary　for　understanding　the　progress；　fate；　or　meaning　of　any　such　business；　he　simply　could　no　longer　grasp　the　possibilities　of　people　running　any　risk　for　the　sake　of　passion。

Amongst　all　those　persons　of　his　acquaintance；　who　went　into　the　City　day　after　day　and　did　their　business　there；　whatever　it　was；　and　in　their　leisure　moments　bought　shares；　and　houses；　and　ate　dinners；　and　played　games；　as　he　was　told；　it　would　have　seemed　to　him　ridiculous　to　suppose　that　there　were　any　who　would　run　risks　for　the　sake　of　anything　so　recondite；　so　figurative；　as　passion。

Passion！　　He　seemed；　indeed；　to　have　heard　of　it；　and　rules　such　as　'A　young　man　and　a　young　woman　ought　never　to　be　trusted　together'　were　fixed　in　his　mind　as　the　parallels　of　latitude　are　fixed　on　a　map　（for　all　Forsytes；　when　it　comes　to　'bed…rock'　matters　of　fact；　have　quite　a　fine　taste　in　realism）；　but　as　to　anything　elsewell；　he　could　only　appreciate　it　at　all　through　the　catch…word　'scandal。'

Ah！　but　there　was　no　truth　in　itcould　not　be。　　He　was　not　afraid；　she　was　really　a　good　little　thing。　　But　there　it　was　when　you　got　a　thing　like　that　into　your　mind。　　And　James　was　of　a　nervous　temperamentone　of　those　men　whom　things　will　not　leave　alone；　who　suffer　tortures　from　anticipation　and　indecision。　　For　fear　of　letting　something　slip　that　he　might　otherwise　secure；　he　was　physically　unable　to　make　up　his　mind　until　absolutely　certain　that；　by　not　making　it　up；　he　would　suffer　loss。

In　life；　however；　there　were　many　occasions　when　the　business　of　making　up　his　mind　did　not　even　rest　with　himself；　and　this　was　one　of　them。

What　could　he　do？　　Talk　it　over　with　Soames？　　That　would　only　make　matters　worse。　　And；　after　all；　there　was　nothing　in　it；　he　felt　sure。

It　was　all　that　house。　　He　had　mistrusted　the　idea　from　the　first。　　What　did　Soames　want　to　go　into　the　country　for？　　And；　if　he　must　go　spending　a　lot　of　money　building　himself　a　house；　why　not　have　a　first…rate　man；　instead　of　this　young　Bosinney；　whom　nobody　knew　anything　about？　　He　had　told　them；　how　it　would　be。　And　he　had　heard　that　the　house　was　costing　Soames　a　pretty　penny　beyond　what　he　had　reckoned　on　spending。

This　fact；　more　than　any　other；　brought　home　to　James　the　real　danger　of　the　situation。　　It　was　always　like　this　with　these　'artistic'　chaps；　a　sensible　man　should　have　nothing　to　say　to　them。　　He　had　warned　Irene；　too。　　And　see　what　had　come　of　it！

And　it　suddenly　sprang　into　James's　mind　that　he　ought　to　go　and　see　for　himself。　　In　the　midst　of　that　fog　of　uneasiness　in　which　his　mind　was　enveloped　the　notion　that　he　could　go　and　look　at　the　house　afforded　him　inexplicable　satisfaction。　　It　may　have　been　simply　the　decision　to　do　somethingmore　possibly　the　fact　that　he　was　going　to　look　at　a　housethat　gave　him　relief。　He　felt　that　in　staring　at　an　edifice　of　bricks　and　mortar；　of　wood　and　stone；　built　by　the　suspected　man　himself；　he　would　be　looking　into　the　heart　of　that　rumour　about　Irene。

Without　saying　a　word；　therefore；　to　anyone；　he　took　a　hansom　to　the　station　and　proceeded　by　train　to　Robin　Hill；　thencethere　being　no　'flies；'　in　accordance　with　the　custom　of　the　neighbourhoodhe　found　himself　obliged　to　walk。

He　started　slowly　up　the　hill；　his　angular　knees　and　high　shoulders　bent　complainingly；　his　eyes　fixed　on　his　feet；　yet；　neat　for　all　that；　in　his　high　hat　and　his　frock…coat；　on　which　was　the　speckless　gloss　imparted　by　perfect　superintendence。　Emily　saw　to　that；　that　is；　she　did　not；　of　course；　see　to　it　people　of　good　position　not　seeing　to　each　other's　buttons；　and　Emily　was　of　good　positionbut　she　saw　that　the　butler　saw　to　it。

He　had　to　ask　his　way　three　times；　on　each　occasion　he　repeated　the　directions　given　him；　got　the　man　to　repeat　them；　then　repeated　them　a　second　time；　for　he　was　naturally　of　a　talkative　disposition；　and　one　could　not　be　too　careful　in　a　new　neighbourhood。

He　kept　assuring　them　that　it　was　a　new　house　he　was　looking　for；　it　was　only；　however；　when　he　was　shown　the　roof　through　the　trees　that　he　could　feel　really　satisfied　that　he　had　not　been　directed　entirely　wrong。

A　heavy　sky　seemed　to　cover　the　world　with　the　grey　whiteness　of　a　whitewashed　ceiling。　　There　was　no　freshness　or　fragrance　in　the　air。　　On　such　a　day　even　British　workmen　scarcely　cared　to　do　more　then　they　were　obliged；　and　moved　about　their　business　without　the　drone　of　talk　which　whiles　away　the　pangs　of　labour。

Through　spaces　of　the　unfinished　house；　shirt…sleeved　figures　worked　slowly；　and　sounds　arosespasmodic　knockings；　the　scraping　of　metal；　the　sawing　of　wood；　with　the　rumble　of　wheelbarrows　along　boards；　now　and　again　the　foreman's　dog；　tethered　by　a　string　to　an　oaken　beam；　whimpered　feebly；　with　a　sound　like　the　singing　of　a　kettle。

The　fresh…fitted　window…panes；　daubed　each　with　a　white　patch　in　the　centre；　stared　out　at　James　like　the　eyes　of　a　blind　dog。

And　the　building　chorus　went　on；　strident　and　mirthless　under　the　grey…white　sky。　　But　the　thrushes；　hunting　amongst　the　fresh…　turned　earth　for　worms；　were　silent　quite。

James　picked　his　way　among　the　heaps　of　gravelthe　drive　was　being　laidtill　he　came　opposite　the　porch。　　Here　he　stopped　and　raised　his　eyes。　　There　was　but　little　to　see　from　this　point　of　view；　and　that　little　he　took　in　at　once；　but　he　stayed　in　this　position　many　minutes；　and　who　shall　know　of　what　he　thought。

His　china…blue　eyes　under　white　eyebrows　that　jutted　out　in　little　horns；　never　stirred；　the　long　upper　lip　of　his　wide　mouth；　between　the　fine　white　whiskers；　twitched　once　or　twice；　it　was　easy　to　see　from　that　anxious　rapt　expression；　whence　Soames　derived　the　handicapped　look　which　sometimes　came　upon　his　face。　　James　might　have　been　saying　to　himself：　'I　don't　know　life's　a　tough　job。'

In　this　position　Bosinney　surprised　him。

James　brought　his　eyes　down　from　whatever　bird's…nest　they　had　been　looking　for　in　the　sky　to　Bosinney's　face；　on　which　was　a　kind　of　humorous　scorn。

〃How　do　you　do；　Mr。　Forsyte？　　Come　down　to　see　for　yourself？〃

It　was　exactly　what　James；　as　we　know；　had　come　for；　and　he　was　made　correspondingly　uneasy。　　He　held　out　his　hand；　however；　saying：

〃How　are　you？〃　without　looking　at　Bosinney。

The　latter　made　way　for　him　with　an　ironical　smile。

James　scented　something　suspicious　in　this　courtesy。　　〃I　should　like　to　walk　round　the　outside　first；〃　he　said；　〃and　see　what　you've　been　doing！〃

A　flagged　terrace　of　rounded　stones　with　a　list　of　two　or　three　inches　to　port　had　been　laid　round　the　south…east　and　south…west　sides　of　the　house；　and　ran　with　a　bevelled　edge　into　mould；　which　was