man of property-第59节

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und；　voices　or　whistles　mocked　the　sense　of　direction；　and　sudden　shapes　came　rolling　slow　upon　them；　and　now　and　then　a　light　showed　like　a　dim　island　in　an　infinite　dark　sea。

And　fast　into　this　perilous　gulf　of　night　walked　Bosinney；　and　fast　after　him　walked　George。　　If　the　fellow　meant　to　put　his　'twopenny'　under　a　'bus；　he　would　stop　it　if　he　could！　　Across　the　street　and　back　the　hunted　creature　strode；　not　groping　as　other　men　were　groping　in　that　gloom；　but　driven　forward　as　though　the　faithful　George　behind　wielded　a　knout；　and　this　chase　after　a　haunted　man　began　to　have　for　George　the　strangest　fascination。

But　it　was　now　that　the　affair　developed　in　a　way　which　ever　afterwards　caused　it　to　remain　green　in　his　mind。　　Brought　to　a　stand…still　in　the　fog；　he　heard　words　which　threw　a　sudden　light　on　these　proceedings。　　What　Mrs。　Soames　had　said　to　Bosinney　in　the　train　was　now　no　longer　dark。　　George　understood　from　those　mutterings　that　Soames　had　exercised　his　rights　over　an　estranged　and　unwilling　wife　in　the　greatestthe　supreme　act　of　property。

His　fancy　wandered　in　the　fields　of　this　situation；　it　impressed　him；　he　guessed　something　of　the　anguish；　the　sexual　confusion　and　horror　in　Bosinney's　heart。　　And　he　thought：　'Yes；　it's　a　bit　thick！　　I　don't　wonder　the　poor　fellow　is　halfcracked！'

He　had　run　his　quarry　to　earth　on　a　bench　under　one　of　the　lions　in　Trafalgar　Square；　a　monster　sphynx　astray　like　themselves　in　that　gulf　of　darkness。　　Here；　rigid　and　silent；　sat　Bosinney；　and　George；　in　whose　patience　was　a　touch　of　strange　brotherliness；　took　his　stand　behind。　　He　was　not　lacking　in　a　certain　delicacy…　…a　sense　of　formthat　did　not　permit　him　to　intrude　upon　this　tragedy；　and　he　waited；　quiet　as　the　lion　above；　his　fur　collar　hitched　above　his　ears　concealing　the　fleshy　redness　of　his　cheeks；　concealing　all　but　his　eyes　with　their　sardonic；　compassionate　stare。　　And　men　kept　passing　back　from　business　on　the　way　to　their　clubsmen　whose　figures　shrouded　in　cocoons　of　fog　came　into　view　like　spectres；　and　like　spectres　vanished。　Then　even　in　his　compassion　George's　Quilpish　humour　broke　forth　in　a　sudden　longing　to　pluck　these　spectres　by　the　sleeve；　and　say：

〃Hi；　you　Johnnies！　　You　don't　often　see　a　show　like　this！　　Here's　a　poor　devil　whose　mistress　has　just　been　telling　him　a　pretty　little　story　of　her　husband；　walk　up；　walk　up！　　He's　taken　the　knock；　you　see。〃

In　fancy　he　saw　them　gaping　round　the　tortured　lover；　and　grinned　as　he　thought　of　some　respectable；　newly…married　spectre　enabled　by　the　state　of　his　own　affections　to　catch　an　inkling　of　what　was　going　on　within　Bosinney；　he　fancied　he　could　see　his　mouth　getting　wider　and　wider；　and　the　fog　going　down　and　down。　　For　in　George　was　all　that　contempt　of　the　of　the　married　middle…class　peculiar　to　the　wild　and　sportsmanlike　spirits　in　its　ranks。

But　he　began　to　be　bored。　　Waiting　was　not　what　he　had　bargained　for。

'After　all；'　he　thought；　'the　poor　chap　will　get　over　it；　not　the　first　time　such　a　thing　has　happened　in　this　little　city！'　But　now　his　quarry　again　began　muttering　words　of　violent　hate　and　anger。　　And　following　a　sudden　impulse　George　touched　him　on　the　shoulder。

Bosinney　spun　round。

〃Who　are　you？　　What　do　you　want？〃

George　could　have　stood　it　well　enough　in　the　light　of　the　gas　lamps；　in　the　light　of　that　everyday　world　of　which　he　was　so　hardy　a　connoisseur；　but　in　this　fog；　where　all　was　gloomy　and

unreal；　where　nothing　had　that　matter…of…fact　value　associated　by　Forsytes　with　earth；　he　was　a　victim　to　strange　qualms；　and　as　he　tried　to　stare　back　into　the　eyes　of　this　maniac；　he　thought：

'If　I　see　a　bobby；　I'll　hand　him　over；　he's　not　fit　to　be　at　large。'

But　waiting　for　no　answer；　Bosinney　strode　off　into　the　fog；　and　George　followed；　keeping　perhaps　a　little　further　off；　yet　more　than　ever　set　on　tracking　him　down。

'He　can't　go　on　long　like　this；'　he　thought。　　'It's　God's　own　miracle　he's　not　been　run　over　already。'　He　brooded　no　more　on　policemen；　a　sportsman's　sacred　fire　alive　again　within　him。

Into　a　denser　gloom　than　ever　Bosinney　held　on　at　a　furious　pace；　but　his　pursuer　perceived　more　method　in　his　madnesshe　was　clearly　making　his　way　westwards。

'He's　really　going　for　Soames！'　thought　George。　　The　idea　was　attractive。　　It　would　be　a　sporting　end　to　such　a　chase。　　He　had　always　disliked　his　cousin。

The　shaft　of　a　passing　cab　brushed　against　his　shoulder　and　made　him　leap　aside。　　He　did　not　intend　to　be　killed　for　the　Buccaneer；　or　anyone。　　Yet；　with　hereditary　tenacity；　he　stuck　to　the　trail　through　vapour　that　blotted　out　everything　but　the　shadow　of　the　hunted　man　and　the　dim　moon　of　the　nearest　lamp。

Then　suddenly；　with　the　instinct　of　a　town…stroller；　George　knew　himself　to　be　in　Piccadilly。　　Here　he　could　find　his　way　blindfold；　and　freed　from　the　strain　of　geographical　uncertainty；　his　mind　returned　to　Bosinney's　trouble。

Down　the　long　avenue　of　his　man…about…town　experience；　bursting；　as　it　were；　through　a　smirch　of　doubtful　amours；　there　stalked　to　him　a　memory　of　his　youth。　　A　memory；　poignant　still；　that　brought　the　scent　of　hay；　the　gleam　of　moonlight；　a　summer　magic；　into　the　reek　and　blackness　of　this　London　fogthe　memory　of　a　night　when　in　the　darkest　shadow　of　a　lawn　he　had　overheard　from　a　woman's　lips　that　he　was　not　her　sole　possessor。　　And　for　a　moment　George　walked　no　longer　in　black　Piccadilly；　but　lay　again；　with　hell　in　his　heart；　and　his　face　to　the　sweet…smelling；　dewy　grass；　in　the　long　shadow　of　poplars　that　hid　the　moon。

A　longing　seized　him　to　throw　his　arm　round　the　Buccaneer；　and　say；　〃Come；　old　boy。　　Time　cures　all。　　Let's　go　and　drink　it　off！〃

But　a　voice　yelled　at　him；　and　he　started　back。　　A　cab　rolled　out　of　blackness；　and　into　blackness　disappeared。　　And　suddenly　George　perceived　that　he　had　lost　Bosinney。　　He　ran　forward　and　back；　felt　his　heart　clutched　by　a　sickening　fear；　the　dark　fear　which　lives　in　the　wings　of　the　fog。　　Perspiration　started　out　on　his　brow。　　He　stood　quite　still；　listening　with　all　his　might。

〃And　then；〃　as　he　confided　to　Dartie　the　same　evening　in　the　course　of　a　game　of　billiards　at　the　Red　Pottle；　〃I　lost　him。〃

Dartie　twirled　complacently　at　his　dark　moustache。　　He　had　just　put　together　a　neat　break　of　twenty…three；failing　at　a　'Jenny。'　〃And　who　was　she？〃　he　asked。

George　looked　slowly　at　the　'man　of　the　world's'　fattish；　sallow　face；　and　a　little　grim　smile　lurked　about　the　curves　of　his　cheeks　and　his　heavy…lidded　eyes。

'No；　no；　my　fine　fellow；'　he　thought；　'I'm　not　going　to　tell　you。'　For　though　he　mixed　with　Dartie　a　good　deal；　he　thought　him　a　bit　of　a　cad。

〃Oh；　some　little　love…lady　or　other；〃　he　said；　and　chalked　his　cue。

〃A　love…lady！〃　exclaimed　Dartiehe　used　a　more　figurative　expression。　　〃I　made　sure　it　was　our　friend　Soa。。。。〃

〃Did　you？〃　said　George　curtly。　　〃Then　damme　you've　made　an　error。〃

He　missed　his　shot。　　He　was　careful　not　to　allude　to　the　subject　again　till；　towards　eleven　o'clock；　having；　in　his　poetic　phraseology；　'looked　upon　the　drink　when　it　was　yellow；'　he　drew　aside　the　blind；　and　gazed　out　into　the　street。　　The　murky　blackness　of　the　fog　was　but　faintly　broken　by　the　lamps　of　the　'Red　Pottle；'　and　no　shape　of　mortal　man　or　thing　was　in　sight。

〃I　can't　help　thinking　of　that　poor　Buccaneer；〃　he　said。　　〃He　may　be　wandering　out　there　now　in　that　fog。　　If　he's　not　a　corpse；〃　he　added　with　strange　dejection。

〃Corpse！〃　said　Dartie；　in　whom　the　recollection　of　his　defeat　at　Richmond　flared　up。　　〃He's　all　right。　　Ten　to　one　if　he　wasn't　tight！〃

George　turned　on　him；　looking　really　formidable；　with　a　sort　of　savage　gloom　on　his　big　face。

〃Dry　up！〃　he　said。　　〃Don't　I　tell　you　he's　'taken　the　knock！〃'




CHAPTER　V

THE　TRIAL


In　the　morning　of　his　case；　which　was　second　in　the　list；　Soames　was　again　obliged　to　start　without　seeing　Irene；　and　it　was　just　as　well；　for　he　had　not　as　yet　made　up　his　mind　what　attitude　to　adopt　towards　her。

He　had　been　requested　to　be　in　court　by　half…past　ten；　to　provide　against　the　event　of　the　first　action　（a　breach　of　promise）　collapsing；　which　however　it　did　not；　both　sides　showing　a　courage　that　afforded　Waterbuck；　Q。C。；　an　opportunity　for　improving　his　already　great　reputation　in　this　class　of　case。　　He　was　opposed　by　Ram；　the　other　celebrated　breach　of　promise　man。　It　was　a　battle　of　giants。

The　court　delivered　judgment　just　before　the　luncheon　interval。　The　jury　left　the　box　for　good；　and　Soames　went　out　to　get　something　to　eat。　　He　met　James　standing　at　the　little　luncheon…　bar；　like　a　pelican　in　the　wilderness　of　the　galleries；　bent　over　a　sandwich　with　a　glass　of　sherry　before　him。　　The　spacious　emptiness　of　the　great　central　hall；　over　which　father　and　son　brooded　as　they　stood　together；　was　marred　now　and　then　for　a　fleeting　moment　by　barristers　in　wig　and　gown　hurriedly　bolting　across；　by　an　occasional　old　lady　or　rusty…coated　man；　looking　up　in　a　frightened　way；　and　by　two　persons；　bolder　than　their　generation；　seated　in　an　embrasure　arguing。　　The　sound　of　their　voices　arose；　together　with　a　scent　as　of　neglected　wells；　which；　mingling　with　the　odour　of　the　galleries；　combined　to　form　the　savour；　l