man of property-第31节

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　with　a　bevelled　edge　into　mould；　which　was　in　preparation　for　being　turfed；　along　this　terrace　James　led　the　way。

〃Now　what　did　this　cost？〃　he　asked；　when　he　saw　the　terrace　extending　round　the　corner。

〃What　should　you　think？〃　inquired　Bosinney。

〃How　should　I　know？〃　replied　James　somewhat　nonplussed；　〃two　or　three　hundred；　I　dare　say！〃

〃The　exact　sum！〃

James　gave　him　a　sharp　look；　but　the　architect　appeared　unconscious；　and　he　put　the　answer　down　to　mishearing。

On　arriving　at　the　garden　entrance；　he　stopped　to　look　at　the　view。

〃That　ought　to　come　down；〃　he　said；　pointing　to　the　oak…tree。

〃You　think　so？　　You　think　that　with　the　tree　there　you　don't　get　enough　view　for　your　money。

Again　James　eyed　him　suspiciouslythis　young　man　had　a　peculiar　way　of　putting　things：　〃Well！〃　he　said；　with　a　perplexed；　nervous；　emphasis；　〃I　don't　see　what　you　want　with　a　tree。〃

〃It　shall　come　down　to…morrow；〃　said　Bosinney。

James　was　alarmed。　　〃Oh；〃　he　said；　〃don't　go　saying　I　said　it　was　to　come　down！　　I　know　nothing　about　it！〃

〃No？〃

James　went　on　in　a　fluster：　〃Why；　what　should　I　know　about　it？　It's　nothing　to　do　with　me！　　You　do　it　on　your　own　responsibility。〃

〃You'll　allow　me　to　mention　your　name？〃

James　grew　more　and　more　alarmed：　〃I　don't　know　what　you　want　mentioning　my　name　for；〃　he　muttered；　〃you'd　better　leave　the　tree　alone。　　It's　not　your　tree！〃

He　took　out　a　silk　handkerchief　and　wiped　his　brow。　　They　entered　the　house。　　Like　Swithin；　James　was　impressed　by　the　inner　court…yard。

You　must　have　spent　a　douce　of　a　lot　of　money　here；〃　he　said；　after　staring　at　the　columns　and　gallery　for　some　time。　　〃Now；　what　did　it　cost　to　put　up　those　columns？〃

〃I　can't　tell　you　off…hand；〃　thoughtfully　answered　Bosinney；　〃but　I　know　it　was　a　deuce　of　a　lot！〃

〃I　should　think　so；〃　said　James。　　〃I　should。。。。〃　　He　caught　the　architect's　eye；　and　broke　off。　　And　now；　whenever　he　came　to　anything　of　which　he　desired　to　know　the　cost；　he　stifled　that　curiosity。

Bosinney　appeared　determined　that　he　should　see　everything；　and　had　not　James　been　of　too　'noticing=a　nature；　he　would　certainly　have　found　himself　going　round　the　house　a　second　time。　He　seemed　so　anxious　to　be　asked　questions；　too；　that　James　felt　he　must　be　on　his　guard。　　He　began　to　suffer　from　his　exertions；　for；　though　wiry　enough　for　a　man　of　his　long　build；　he　was　seventy…five　years　old。

He　grew　discouraged；　he　seemed　no　nearer　to　anything；　had　not　obtained　from　his　inspection　any　of　the　knowledge　he　had　vaguely　hoped　for。　　He　had　merely　increased　his　dislike　and　mistrust　of　this　young　man；　who　had　tired　him　out　with　his　politeness；　and　in　whose　manner　he　now　certainly　detected　mockery。

The　fellow　was　sharper　than　he　had　thought；　and　better…looking　than　he　had　hoped。　　He　had　aa　'don't　care'　appearance　that　James；　to　whom　risk　was　the　most　intolerable　thing　in　life；　did　not　appreciate；　a　peculiar　smile；　too；　coming　when　least　expected；　and　very　queer　eyes。　　He　reminded　James；　as　he　said　afterwards；　of　a　hungry　cat。　　This　was　as　near　as　he　could　get；　in　conversation　with　Emily；　to　a　description　of　the　peculiar　exasperation；　velvetiness；　and　mockery；　of　which　Bosinney's　manner　had　been　composed。

At　last；　having　seen　all　that　was　to　be　seen；　he　came　out　again　at　the　door　where　he　had　gone　in；　and　now；　feeling　that　he　was　wasting　time　and　strength　and　money；　all　for　nothing；　he　took　the　courage　of　a　Forsyte　in　both　hands；　and；　looking　sharply　at　Bosinney；　said：

〃I　dare　say　you　see　a　good　deal　of　my　daughter…in…law；　now；　what　does　she　think　of　the　house？　　But　she　hasn't　seen　it；　I　suppose？〃

This　he　said；　knowing　all　about　Irene's　visit　not；　of　course；　that　there　was　anything　in　the　visit；　except　that　extraordinary　remark　she　had　made　about　'not　caring　to　get　home'and　the　story　of　how　June　had　taken　the　news！

He　had　determined；　by　this　way　of　putting　the　question；　to　give　Bosinney　a　chance；　as　he　said　to　himself。

The　latter　was　long　in　answering；　but　kept　his　eyes　with　uncomfortable　steadiness　on　James。

〃She　has　seen　the　house；　but　I　can't　tell　you　what　she　thinks　of；　it。〃

Nervous　and　baffled；　James　was　constitutionally　prevented　from　letting　the　matter　drop。

〃Oh！〃　he　said；　〃she　has　seen　it？　　Soames　brought　her　down；　I　suppose？〃

Bosinney　smilingly　replied：　〃Oh；　no！〃

〃What；　did　she　come　down　alone？〃

〃Oh；　no！〃

〃Thenwho　brought　her？〃

〃I　really　don't　know　whether　I　ought　to　tell　you　who　brought　her。〃

To　James；　who　knew　that　it　was　Swithin；　this　answer　appeared　incomprehensible。

〃Why！〃　he　stammered；　〃you　know　that。。。。〃　but　he　stopped；　suddenly　perceiving　his　danger。

〃Well；〃　he　said；　〃if　you　don't　want　to　tell　me　I　suppose　you　won't！　　Nobody　tells　me　anything。〃

Somewhat　to　his　surprise　Bosinney　asked　him　a　question。

〃By　the　by；〃　he　said；　〃could　you　tell　me　if　there　are　likely　to　be　any　more　of　you　coming　down？　　I　should　like　to　be　on　the　spot！〃

〃Any　more？〃　said　James　bewildered；　〃who　should　there　be　more？　　I　don't　know　of　any　more。　　Good…bye？〃

Looking　at　the　ground　he　held　out　his　hand；　crossed　the　palm　of　it　with　Bosinney's；　and　taking　his　umbrella　just　above　the　silk；　walked　away　along　the　terrace。

Before　he　turned　the　corner　he　glanced　back；　and　saw　Bosinney　following　him　slowly'slinking　along　the　wall'　as　he　put　it　to　himself；　'like　a　great　cat。'　He　paid　no　attention　when　the　young　fellow　raised　his　hat。

Outside　the　drive；　and　out　of　sight；　he　slackened　his　pace　still　more。　　Very　slowly；　more　bent　than　when　he　came；　lean；　hungry；　and　disheartened；　he　made　his　way　back　to　the　station。

The　Buccaneer；　watching　him　go　so　sadly　home；　felt　sorry　perhaps　for　his　behaviour　to　the　old　man。




CHAPTER　V

SOAMES　AND　BOSINNEY　CORRESPOND


James　said　nothing　to　his　son　of　this　visit　to　the　house；　but；　having　occasion　to　go　to　Timothy's　on　morning　on　a　matter　connected　with　a　drainage　scheme　which　was　being　forced　by　the　sanitary　authorities　on　his；　brother；　he　mentioned　it　there。

It　was　not；　he　said；　a　bad　house。　　He　could　see　that　a　good　deal　could　be　made　of　it。　　The　fellow　was　clever　in　his　way；　though　what　it　was　going　to　cost　Soames　before　it　was　done　with　he　didn't　know。

Euphemia　Forsyte；　who　happened　to　be　in　the　roomshe　had　come　round　to　borrow　the　Rev。　Mr。　Scoles'　last　novel；　'Passion　and　Paregoric'；　which　was　having　such　a　voguechimed　in。

〃I　saw　Irene　yesterday　at　the　Stores；　she　and　Mr。　Bosinney　were　having　a　nice　little　chat　in　the　Groceries。〃


It　was　thus；　simply；　that　she　recorded　a　scene　which　had　really　made　a　deep　and　complicated　impression　on　her。　　She　had　been　hurrying　to　the　silk　department　of　the　Church　and　Commercial　Storesthat　Institution　than　which；　with　its　admirable　system；　admitting　only　guaranteed　persons　on　a　basis　of　payment　before　delivery；　no　emporium　can　be　more　highly　recommended　to　Forsytes…　…to　match　a　piece　of　prunella　silk　for　her　mother；　who　was　waiting　in　the　carriage　outside。

Passing　through　the　Groceries　her　eye　was　unpleasantly　attracted　by　the　back　view　of　a　very　beautiful；　figure。　　It　was　so　charmingly　proportioned；　so　balanced；　and　so　well　clothed；　that　Euphemia's　instinctive　propriety　was　at　once　alarmed；　such　figures；　she　knew；　by　intuition　rather　than　experience；　were　rarely　connected　with　virtuecertainly　never　in　her　mind；　for　her　own　back　was　somewhat　difficult　to　fit。

Her　suspicions　were　fortunately　confirmed。　　A　young　man　coming　from　the　Drugs　had　snatched　off　his　hat；　and　was　accosting　the　lady　with　the　unknown　back。

It　was　then　that　she　saw　with　whom　she　had　to　deal；　the　lady　was　undoubtedly　Mrs。　Soames；　the　young　man　Mr。　Bosinney。　　Concealing　herself　rapidly　over　the　purchase　of　a　box　of　Tunisian　dates；　for　she　was　impatient　of　awkwardly　meeting　people　with　parcels　in　her

hands；　and　at　the　busy　time　of　the　morning；　she　was　quite　unintentionally　an　interested　observer　of　their　little　interview。

Mrs。　Soames；　usually　somewhat　pale；　had　a　delightful　colour　in　her　cheeks；　and　Mr。　Bosinney's　manner　was　strange；　though　attractive　（she　thought　him　rather　a　distinguished…looking　man；　and　Georges　name　for　him；　'The　Buccaneerabout　which　there　was　something　romanticquite　charming）。　　He　seemed　to　be　pleading。　Indeed；　they　talked　so　earnestlyor；　rather；　he　talked　so　earnestly；　for　Mrs。　Soames　did　not　say　muchthat　they　caused；　inconsiderately；　an　eddy　in　the　traffic。　　One　nice　old　General；　going　towards　Cigars；　was　obliged　to　step　quite　out　of　the　way；　and　chancing　to　look　up　and　see　Mrs。　Soames'　face；　he　actually　took　off　his　hat；　the　old　fool！　　So　like　a　man！

But　it　was　Mrs。　Soames'　eyes　that　worried　Euphemia。　　She　never　once　looked　at　Mr。　Bosinney　until　he　moved　on；　and　then　she　looked　after　him。　　And；　oh；　that　look！

On　that　look　Euphemia　had　spent　much　anxious　thought。　　It　is　not　too　much　to　say　that　it　had　hurt　her　with　its　dark；　lingering　softness；　for　all　the　world　as　though　the　woman　wanted　to　drag　him　back；　and　unsay　something　she　had　been　saying。

Ah；　well；　she　had　had　no　time　to　go　deeply　into　the　matter　just　then；　with　that　prunella　silk　on　her　hands；　but　she　was　'very　intrigueevery！　　She　had　just　nodded　to　Mrs。　Soames；　to　show　her　that　she　had　seen；　and；　as　she　confided；　in　talking　it　over　after