man of property-第6节

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　head。

Serve　him　right　for　sticking　at　the　price；　the　only　thing　the　fellow　thought　of　was　money。　　Had　he　given　too　much；　though？　　It　wanted　a　lot　of　doing　toHe　dared　say　he　would　want　all　his　money　before　he　had　done　with　this　affair　of　June's。　　He　ought　never　to　have　allowed　the　engagement。　　She　had　met　this　Bosinney　At　the　house　of　Baynes；　Baynes　and　Bildeboy；　the　architects。　　He　believed　that　Baynes；　whom　he　knewa　bit　of　an　old　womanwas　the　young　man's　uncle　by　marriage。　　After　that　she'd　been　always　running　after　him；　and　when　she　took　a　thing　into　her　head　there　was　no　stopping　her。　　She　was　continually　taking　up　with　'lame　ducks'　of　one　sort　or　another。　　This　fellow　had　no　money；　but　she　must　needs　become　engaged　to　hima　harumscarum；　unpractical　chap；　who　would　get　himself　into　no　end　of　difficulties。

She　had　come　to　him　one　day　in　her　slap…dash　way　and　told　him；　and；　as　if　it　were　any　consolation；　she　had　added：

〃He's　so　splendid；　he's　often　lived　on　cocoa　for　a　week！〃

〃And　he　wants　you　to　live　on　cocoa　too？〃

〃Oh　no；　he　is　getting　into　the　swim　now。〃

Old　Jolyon　had　taken　his　cigar　from　under　his　white　moustaches；　stained　by　coffee　at　the　edge；　and　looked　at　her；　that　little　slip　of　a　thing　who　had　got　such　a　grip　of　his　heart。　　He　knew　more　about　'swims'　than　his　granddaughter。　　But　she；　having　clasped　her　hands　on　his　knees；　rubbed　her　chin　against　him；　making　a　sound　like　a　purring　cat。　　And；　knocking　the　ash　off　his　cigar；　he　had　exploded　in　nervous　desperation：

〃You're　all　alike：　you　won't　be　satisfied　till　you've　got　what　you　want。　　If　you　must　come　to　grief；　you　must；　I　wash　my　hands　of　it。〃

So；　he　had　washed　his　hands　of　it；　making　the　condition　that　they　should　not　marry　until　Bosinney　had　at　least　four　hundred　a　year。

〃I　shan't　be　able　to　give　you　very　much；〃　he　had　said；　a　formula　to　which　June　was　not　unaccustomed。〃　　Perhaps　this　What's…his…　name　will　provide　the　cocoa。〃

He　had　hardly　seen　anything　of　her　since　it　began。　　A　bad　business！　　He　had　no　notion　of　giving　her　a　lot　of　money　to　enable　a　fellow　he　knew　nothing　about　to　live　on　in　idleness。　He　had　seen　that　sort　of　thing　before；　no　good　ever　came　of　it。　Worst　of　all；　he　had　no　hope　of　shaking　her　resolution；　she　was　as　obstinate　as　a　mule；　always　had　been　from　a　child。　　He　didn't　see　where　it　was　to　end。　　They　must　cut　their　coat　according　to　their　cloth。　　He　would　not　give　way　till　he　saw　young　Bosinney

with　an　income　of　his　own。　　That　June　would　have　trouble　with　the　fellow　was　as　plain　as　a　pikestaff；　he　had　no　more　idea　of　money　than　a　cow。　　As　to　this　rushing　down　to　Wales　to　visit　the　young　man's　aunts；　he　fully　expected　they　were　old　cats。

And；　motionless；　old　Jolyon　stared　at　the　wall；　but　for　his　open　eyes；　he　might　have　been　asleep。。。。　　The　idea　of　supposing　that　young　cub　Soames　could　give　him　advice！　　He　had　always　been　a　cub；　with　his　nose　in　the　air！　　He　would　be　setting　up　as　a　man　of　property　next；　with　a　place　in　the　country！　　A　man　of　property！　　H'mph！　Like　his　father；　he　was　always　nosing　out　bargains；　a　cold…blooded　young　beggar！

He　rose；　and；　going　to　the　cabinet；　began　methodically　stocking　his；　cigar…case　from　a　bundle　fresh　in。　　They　were　not　bad　at　the　price；　but　you　couldn't　get　a　good　cigar；　nowadays；　nothing　to　hold　a　candle　to　those　old　Superfinos　of　Hanson　and　Bridger's。　That　was　a　cigar！

The　thought；　like　some　stealing　perfume；　carried　him　back　to　those　wonderful　nights　at　Richmond　when　after　dinner　he　sat　smoking　on　the　terrace　of　the　Crown　and　Sceptre　with　Nicholas　Treffry　and　Traquair　and　Jack　Herring　and　Anthony　Thornworthy。　How　good　his　cigars　were　then！　　Poor　old　Nick！dead；　and　Jack　Herringdead；　and　Traquairdead　of　that　wife　of　his；　and　Thornworthyawfully　shaky　（no　wonder；　with　his　appetite）。

Of　all　the　company　of　those　days　he　himself　alone　seemed　left；　except　Swithin；　of　course；　and　he　so　outrageously　big　there　was　no　doing　anything　with　him。

Difficult　to　believe　it　was　so　long　ago；　he　felt　young　still！　　Of　all　his　thoughts；　as　he　stood　there　counting　his　cigars；　this　was　the　most　poignant；　the　most　bitter。　　With　his　white　head　and　his　loneliness　he　had　remained　young　and　green　at　heart。　　And　those　Sunday　afternoons　on　Hampstead　Heath；　when　young　Jolyon　and　he　went　for　a　stretch　along　the　Spaniard's　Road　to　Highgate；　to　Child's　Hill；　and　back　over　the　Heath　again　to　dine　at　Jack　Straw's　Castlehow　delicious　his　cigars　were　then！　　And　such　weather！　　There　was　no　weather　now。

When　June　was　a　toddler　of　five；　and　every　other　Sunday　he　took　her　to　the　Zoo；　away　from　the　society　of　those　two　good　women；　her　mother　and　her　grandmother；　and　at　the　top　of　the　bear　den　baited　his　umbrella　with　buns　for　her　favourite　bears；　how　sweet　his　cigars　were　then！

Cigars！　　He　had　not　even　succeeded　in　out…living　his　palatethe　famous　palate　that　in　the　fifties　men　swore　by；　and　speaking　of　him；　said：　〃Forsyte=s　the　best　palate　in　London！〃　The　palate　that　in　a　sense　had　made　his　fortunethe　fortune　of　the　celebrated　tea　men；　Forsyte　and　Treffry；　whose　tea；　like　no　other　man's　tea；　had　a　romantic　aroma；　the　charm　of　a　quite　singular　genuineness。　About　the　house　of　Forsyte　and　Treffry　in　the　City　had　clung　an　air　of　enterprise　and　mystery；　of　special　dealings　in　special　ships；　at　special　ports；　with　special　Orientals。

He　had　worked　at　that　business！　　Men　did　work　in　those　days！　these　young　pups　hardly　knew　the　meaning　of　the　word。　　He　had　gone　into　every　detail；　known　everything　that　went　on；　sometimes　sat　up　all　night　over　it。　　And　he　had　always　chosen　his　agents　himself；　prided　himself　on　it。　　His　eye　for　men；　he　used　to　say；　had　been　the　secret　of　his　success；　and　the　exercise　of　this　masterful　power　of　selection　had　been　the　only　part　of　it　all　that　he　had　really　liked。　　Not　a　career　for　a　man　of　his　ability。　Even　now；　when　the　business　had　been　turned　into　a　Limited　Liability　Company；　and　was　declining　（he　had　got　out　of　his　shares　long　ago）；　he　felt　a　sharp　chagrin　in　thinking　of　that　time。　　How　much　better　he　might　have　done！　　He　would　have　succeeded　splendidly　at　the　Bar！　　He　had　even　thought　of　standing　for　Parliament。　　How　often　had　not　Nicholas　Treffry　said　to　him：

〃You　could　do　anything；　Jo；　if　you　weren't　so　d…damned　careful　of　yourself！〃　Dear　old　Nick！　　Such　a　good　fellow；　but　a　racketty　chap！　　The　notorious　Treffry！　　He　had　never　taken　any　care　of　himself。　　So　he　was　dead。　　Old　Jolyon　counted　his　cigars　with　a　steady　hand；　and　it　came　into　his　mind　to　wonder　if　perhaps　he　had　been　too　careful　of　himself。

He　put　the　cigar…case　in　the　breast　of　his　coat；　buttoned　it　in；　and　walked　up　the　long　flights　to　his　bedroom；　leaning　on　one　foot　and　the　other；　and　helping　himself　by　the　bannister。　　The　house　was　too　big。　　After　June　was　married；　if　she　ever　did　marry　this　fellow；　as　he　supposed　she　would；　he　would　let　it　and　go　into　rooms。　　What　was　the　use　of　keeping　half　a　dozen　servants　eating　their　heads　off？

The　butler　came　to　the　ring　of　his　bella　large　man　with　a　beard；　a　soft　tread；　and　a　peculiar　capacity　for　silence。　　Old　Jolyon　told　him　to　put　his　dress　clothes　out；　he　was　going　to　dine　at　the　Club。

How　long　had　the　carriage　been　back　from　taking　Miss　June　to　the　station？　　Since　two？　　Then　let　him　come　round　at　half…past　six！

The　Club　which　old　Jolyon　entered　on　the　stroke　of　seven　was　one　of　those　political　institutions　of　the　upper　middle　class　which　have　seen　better　days。　　In　spite　of　being　talked　about；　perhaps　in　consequence　of　being　talked　about；　it　betrayed　a　disappointing　vitality。　　People　had　grown　tired　of　saying　that　the　'Disunion'　was　on　its　last　legs。　　Old　Jolyon　would　say　it；　too；　yet　disregarded　the　fact　in　a　manner　truly　irritating　to　well…constituted　Clubmen。

〃Why　do　you　keep　your　name　on？〃　Swithin　often　asked　him　with　profound　vexation。　　〃Why　don't　you　join　the　'Polyglot？　　You　can't　get　a　wine　like　our　Heidsieck　under　twenty　shillin'　a　bottle　anywhere　in　London；〃　and；　dropping　his　voice；　he　added：　〃There's　only　five　hundred　dozen　left。　　I　drink　it　every　night　of　my　life。〃

I'll　think　of　it；〃　old　Jolyon　would　answer；　but　when　he　did　think　of　it　there　was　always　the　question　of　fifty　guineas　entrance　fee；　and　it　would　take　him　four　or　five　years　to　get　in。　　He　continued　to　think　of　it。

He　was　too　old　to　be　a　Liberal；　had　long　ceased　to　believe　in　the　political　doctrines　of　his　Club；　had　even　been　known　to　allude　to　them　as　'wretched　stuff；'　and　it　afforded　him　pleasure　to　continue　a　member　in　the　teeth　of　principles　so　opposed　to　his　own。　　He　had　always　had　a　contempt　for　the　place；　having　joined　it　many　years　ago　when　they　refused　to　have　him　at　the　'Hotch　Potch'　owing　to　his　being　'in　trade。'　　As　if　he　were　not　as　good　as　any　of　them！　　He　naturally　despised　the　Club　that　did　take　him。　　The　members　were　a　poor　lot；　many　of　them　in　the　City　stockbrokers；　solicitors；　auctioneerswhat　not！　　Like　most　men　of　strong　character　but　not　too　much　originality；　old　Jolyon　set　small　store　by　the　class　to　which　he　belonged。　　Faithfully　he　followed　their　customs；　social　and　otherwise；　and　secretly　he　thought　them　'a　common　lot。'

Years　and　philosophy；　of　which　he　had　his　share；　had　dimmed　the　recollection　of　his　defeat　at　the　'Hotch　Potch'；　and　now　in　h