man of property-第56节

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The　sudden　flush　that　rose　on　the　girl's　intent　young　faceshe　must　have　seen　spring　up　before　her　a　great　hopethe　sudden　sweetness　of　her　smile；　often　came　back　to　Lady　Baynes　in　after　years　（Baynes　was　knighted　when　he　built　that　public　Museum　of　Art　which　has　given　so　much　employment　to　officials；　and　so　little　pleasure　to　those　working　classes　for　whom　it　was　designed）。

The　memory　of　that　change；　vivid　and　touching；　like　the　breaking　open　of　a　flower；　or　the　first　sun　after　long　winter；　the　memory；　too；　of　all　that　came　after；　often　intruded　itself；　unaccountably；　inopportunely　on　Lady　Baynes；　when　her　mind　was　set　upon　the　most　important　things。

This　was　the　very　afternoon　of　the　day　that　young　Jolyon　witnessed　the　meeting　in　the　Botanical　Gardens；　and　on　this　day；　too；　old　Jolyon　paid　a　visit　to　his　solicitors；　Forsyte；　Bustard；　and　Forsyte；　in　the　Poultry。　　Soames　was　not　in；　he　had　gone　down　to　Somerset　House；　Bustard　was　buried　up　to　the　hilt　in　papers　and　that　inaccessible　apartment；　where　he　was　judiciously　placed；　in　order　that　he　might　do　as　much　work　as　possible；　but　James　was　in　the　front　office；　biting　a　finger；　and　lugubriously　turning　over　the　pleadings　in　Forsyte　v。　Bosinney。

This　sound　lawyer　had　only　a　sort　of　luxurious　dread　of　the　'nice　point；'　enough　to　set　up　a　pleasurable　feeling　of　fuss；　for　his　good　practical　sense　told　him　that　if　he　himself　were　on　the　Bench　he　would　not　pay　much　attention　to　it。　　But　he　was　afraid　that　this　Bosinney　would　go　bankrupt　and　Soames　would　have　to　find　the　money　after　all；　and　costs　into　the　bargain。　　And　behind　this　tangible　dread　there　was　always　that　intangible　trouble；　lurking　in　the　background；　intricate；　dim；　scandalous；　like　a　bad　dream；　and　of　which　this　action　was　but　an　outward　and　visible　sign。

He　raised　his　head　as　old　Jolyon　came　in；　and　muttered：　〃How　are　you；　Jolyon？　　Haven't　seen　you　for　an　age。　　You've　been　to　Switzerland；　they　tell　me。　　This　young　Bosinney；　he's　got　himself　into　a　mess。　　I　knew　how　it　would　be！〃　　He　held　out　the　papers；　regarding　his　elder　brother　with　nervous　gloom。

Old　Jolyon　read　them　in　silence；　and　while　he　read　them　James　looked　at　the　floor；　biting　his　fingers　the　while。

Old　Jolyon　pitched　them　down　at　last；　and　they　fell　with　a　thump　amongst　a　mass　of　affidavits　in　're　Buncombe；　deceased；'　one　of　the　many　branches　of　that　parent　and　profitable　tree；　'Fryer　v。　Forsyte。'

〃I　don't　know　what　Soames　is　about；〃　he　said；　〃to　make　a　fuss　over　a　few　hundred　pounds。　　I　thought　he　was　a　man　of　property。〃

James'long　upper　lip　twitched　angrily；　he　could　not　bear　his　son　to　be　attacked　in　such　a　spot。

〃It's　not　the　money　〃he　began；　but　meeting　his　brother's　glance；　direct；　shrewd；　judicial；　he　stopped。

There　was　a　silence。

〃I've　come　in　for　my　Will；〃　said　old　Jolyon　at　last；　tugging　at　his　moustache。

James'　curiosity　was　roused　at　once。　　Perhaps　nothing　in　this　life　was　more　stimulating　to　him　than　a　Will；　it　was　the　supreme　deal　with　property；　the　final　inventory　of　a　man's　belongings；　the　last　word　on　what　he　was　worth。　　He　sounded　the　bell。

〃Bring　in　Mr。　Jolyon's　Will；〃　he　said　to　an　anxious；　dark…haired　clerk。

〃You　going　to　make　some　alterations？〃　And　through　his　mind　there　flashed　the　thought：　'Now；　am　I　worth　as　much　as　he？'

Old　Jolyon　put　the　Will　in　his　breast　pocket；　and　James　twisted　his　long　legs　regretfully。

〃You've　made　some　nice　purchases　lately；　they　tell　me；〃　he　said。

〃I　don't　know　where　you　get　your　information　from；〃　answered　old　Jolyon　sharply。　　〃When's　this　action　coming　on？　　Next　month？　　I　can't　tell　what　you've　got　in　your　minds。　　You　must　manage　your　own　affairs；　but　if　you　take　my　advice；　you'll　settle　it　out　of　Court。　　Good…bye！〃　　With　a　cold　handshake　he　was　gone。

James；　his　fixed　grey…blue　eye　corkscrewing　round　some　secret　anxious　image；　began　again　to　bite　his　finger。

Old　Jolyon　took　his　Will　to　the　offices　of　the　New　Colliery　Company；　and　sat　down　in　the　empty　Board　Room　to　read　it　through。　He　answered　'Down…by…the…starn'　Hemmings　so　tartly　when　the　latter；　seeing　his　Chairman　seated　there；　entered　with　the　new　Superintendent's　first　report；　that　the　Secretary　withdrew　with　regretful　dignity；　and　sending　for　the　transfer　clerk；　blew　him　up　till　the　poor　youth　knew　not　where　to　look。

It　was　notby　Georgeas　he　（Down…by…the…starn）　would　have　him　know；　for　a　whippersnapper　of　a　young　fellow　like　him；　to　come　down　to　that　office；　and　think　that　he　was　God　Almighty。　　He　（Down…by…the…starn）　had　been　head　of　that　office　for　more　years　than　a　boy　like　him　could　count；　and　if　he　thought　that　when　he　had　finished　all　his　work；　he　could　sit　there　doing　nothing；　he　did　not　know　him；　Hemmings　（Down…by…the…starn）；　and　so　forth。

On　the　other　side　of　the　green　baize　door　old　Jolyon　sat　at　the　long；　mahogany…and…leather　board　table；　his　thick；　loose…jointed；　tortoiseshell　eye…glasses　perched　on　the　bridge　of　his　nose；　his　gold　pencil　moving　down　the　clauses　of　his　Will。

It　was　a　simple　affair；　for　there　were　none　of　those　vexatious　little　legacies　and　donations　to　charities；　which　fritter　away　a　man's　possessions；　and　damage　the　majestic　effect　of　that　little　paragraph　in　the　morning　papers　accorded　to　Forsytes　who　die　with　a　hundred　thousand　pounds。

A　simple　affair。　　Just　a　bequest　to　his　son　of　twenty　thousand；　and　'as　to　the　residue　of　my　property　of　whatsoever　kind　whether　realty　or　personalty；　or　partaking　of　the　nature　of　eitherupon　trust　to　pay　the　proceeds　rents　annual　produce　dividends　or　interest　thereof　and　thereon　to　my　said　grand…daughter　June　Forsyte　or　her　assigns　during　her　life　to　be　for　her　sole　use　and　benefit　and　without；　etc。。。　and　from　and　after　her　death　or　decease　upon　trust　to　convey　assign　transfer　or　make　over　the　said　last…mentioned　lands　hereditaments　premises　trust　moneys　stocks　funds　investments　and　securities　or　such　as　shall　then　stand　for　and　represent　the　same　unto　such　person　or　persons　whether　one　or　more　for　such　intents　purposes　and　uses　and　generally　in　such　manner　way　and　form　in　all　respects　as　the　said　June　Forsyte　notwithstanding　coverture　shall　by　her　last　Will　and　Testament　or　any　writing　or　writings　in　the　nature　of　a　Will　testament　or　testamentary　disposition　to　be　by　her　duly　made　signed　and　published　direct　appoint　or　make　over　give　and　dispose　of　the　same　And　in　default　etc。。。。　　Provided　always。。。'　and　so　on；　in　seven　folios　of　brief　and　simple　phraseology。

The　Will　had　been　drawn　by　James　in　his　palmy　days。　　He　had　foreseen　almost　every　contingency。

Old　Jolyon　sat　a　long　time　reading　this　Will；　at　last　he　took　half　a　sheet　of　paper　from　the　rack；　and　made　a　prolonged　pencil　note；　then　buttoning　up　the　Will；　he　caused　a　cab　to　be　called　and　drove　to　the　offices　of　Paramor　and　Herring；　in　Lincoln's　Inn　Fields。　　Jack　Herring　was　dead；　but　his　nephew　was　still　in　the　firm；　and　old　Jolyon　was　closeted　with　him　for　half　an　hour。

He　had　kept　the　hansom；　and　on　coming　out；　gave　the　driver　the　address3；　Wistaria　Avenue。

He　felt　a　strange；　slow　satisfaction；　as　though　he　had　scored　a　victory　over　James　and　the　man　of　property。　　They　should　not　poke　their　noses　into　his　affairs　any　more；　he　had　just　cancelled　their　trusteeships　of　his　Will；　he　would　take　the　whole　of　his　business　out　of　their　hands；　and　put　it　into　the　hands　of　young　Herring；　and　he　would　move　the　business　of　his　Companies　too。　　If　that　young　Soames　were　such　a　man　of　property；　he　would　never　miss　a　thousand　a　year　or　so；　and　under　his　great　white　moustache　old　Jolyon　grimly　smiled。　　He　felt　that　what　he　was　doing　was　in　the　nature　of　retributive　justice；　richly　deserved。

Slowly；　surely；　with　the　secret　inner　process　that　works　the　destruction　of　an　old　tree；　the　poison　of　the　wounds　to　his　happiness；　his　will；　his　pride；　had　corroded　the　comely　edifice　of　his　philosophy。　　Life　had　worn　him　down　on　one　side；　till；　like　that　family　of　which　he　was　the　head；　he　had　lost　balance。

To　him；　borne　northwards　towards　his　son's　house；　the　thought　of　the　new　disposition　of　property；　which　he　had　just　set　in　motion；　appeared　vaguely　in　the　light　of　a　stroke　of　punishment；　levelled　at　that　family　and　that　Society；　of　which　James　and　his　son　seemed　to　him　the　representatives。　　He　had　made　a　restitution　to　young　Jolyon；　and　restitution　to　young　Jolyon　satisfied　his　secret　craving　for　revenge…revenge　against　Time；　sorrow；　and　interference；　against　all　that　incalculable　sum　of　disapproval　that　had　been　bestowed　by　the　world　for　fifteen　years　on　his　only　son。　　It　presented　itself　as　the　one　possible　way　of　asserting　once　more　the　domination　of　his　will；　of　forcing　James；　and　Soames；　and　the　family；　and　all　those　hidden　masses　of　Forsytes　a　great　stream　rolling　against　the　single　dam　of　his　obstinacy　to　recognise　once　and　for　all　that　be　would　be　master。　　It　was　sweet　to　think　that　at　last　he　was　going　to　make　the　boy　a　richer　man　by　far　than　that　son　of　James；　that　'man　of　property。'　And　it　was　sweet　to　give　to　Jo；　for　he　loved　his　son。

Neither　young　Jolyon　nor　his　wife　were　in　（young　Jolyon　indeed　was　not　back　from　the　Botanical）；　but　the　little　maid　told　him　that　she　expected　the　master　at　any　moment：

〃He's　always　at　'ome　to　tea；　sir；　to　play　with　the　child