man of property-第67节

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s　gave　no　answering　look。　　And　to　old　Jolyon　watching；　divining　the　league　of　mutual　defence　between　them；　there　came　an　overmastering　desire　to　have　his　own　son　at　his　side；　as　though　this　visit　to　the　dead　man's　body　was　a　battle　in　which　otherwise　he　must　single…handed　meet　those　two。　And　the　thought　of　how　to　keep　June's　name　out　of　the　business　kept　whirring　in　his　brain。　　James　had　his　son　to　support　him！　Why　should　he　not　send　for　Jo？

Taking　out　his　card…case；　he　pencilled　the　following　message：

'Come　round　at　once。　　I've　sent　the　carriage　for　you。'

On　getting　out　he　gave　this　card　to　his　coachman；　telling　him　to　driveas　fast　as　possible　to　the　Hotch　Potch　Club；　and　if　Mr。　Jolyon　Forsyte　were　there　to　give　him　the　card　and　bring　him　at　once。　　If　not　there　yet；　he　was　to　wait　till　he　came。

He　followed　the　others　slowly　up　the　steps；　leaning　on　his　umbrella；　and　stood　a　moment　to　get　his　breath。　　The　Inspector　said：　〃This　is　the　mortuary；　sir。　　But　take　your　time。〃

In　the　bare；　white…walled　room；　empty　of　all　but　a　streak　of　sunshine　smeared　along　the　dustless　floor；　lay　a　form　covered　by　a　sheet。　　With　a　huge　steady　hand　the　Inspector　took　the　hem　and　turned　it　back。　　A　sightless　face　gazed　up　at　them；　and　on　either　side　of　that　sightless　defiant　face　the　three　Forsytes　gazed　down；　in　each　one　of　them　the　secret　emotions；　fears；　and　pity　of　his　own　nature　rose　and　fell　like　the　rising；　falling　waves　of　life；　whose　wish　those　white　walls　barred　out　now　for　ever　from　Bosinney。　　And　in　each　one　of　them　the　trend　of　his　nature；　the　odd　essential　spring；　which　moved　him　in　fashions　minutely；　unalterably　different　from　those　of　every　other　human　being；　forced　him　to　a　different　attitude　of　thought。　　Far　from　the　others；　yet　inscrutably　close；　each　stood　thus；　alone　with　death；　silent；　his　eyes　lowered。

The　Inspector　asked　softly：

〃You　identify　the　gentleman；　sir？〃

Old　Jolyon　raised　his　head　and　nodded。　　He　looked　at　his　brother　opposite；　at　that　long　lean　figure　brooding　over　the　dead　man；　with　face　dusky　red；　and　strained　grey　eyes；　and　at　the　figure　of　Soames　white　and　still　by　his　father's　side。　　And　all　that　he　had　felt　against　those　two　was　gone　like　smoke　in　the　long　white　presence　of　Death。　　Whence　comes　it；　how　comes　itDeath？　　Sudden　reverse　of　all　that　goes　before；　blind　setting　forth　on　a　path　that　leads　to　where？　　Dark　quenching　of　the　fire！　　The　heavy；　brutal　crushingout　that　all　men　must　go　through；　keeping　their　eyes　clear　and　brave　unto　the　end！　　Small　and　of　no　import；　insects　though　they　are！　　And　across　old　Jolyon's　face　there　flitted　a　gleam；　for　Soames；　murmuring　to　the　Inspector；　crept　noiselessly　away。

Then　suddenly　James　raised　his　eyes。　　There　was　a　queer　appeal　in　that　suspicious　troubled　look：　〃I　know　I'm　no　match　for　you；〃　it　seemed　to　say。　　And；　hunting　for　handkerchief　he　wiped　his　brow；　then；　bending　sorrowful　and　lank　over　the　dead　man；　he　too　turned　and　hurried　out。

Old　Jolyon　stood；　still　as　death；　his　eyes　fixed　on　the　body。　Who　shall　tell　of　what　he　was　thinking？　　Of　himself；　when　his　hair　was　brown　like　the　hair　of　that　young　fellow　dead　before　him？　　Of　himself；　with　his　battle　just　beginning；　the　long；　long　battle　he　had　loved；　the　battle　that　was　over　for　this　young　man　almost　before　it　had　begun？　　Of　his　grand…daughter；　with　her　broken　hopes？　　Of　that　other　woman？　　Of　the　strangeness；　and　the　pity　of　it？　　And　the　irony；　inscrutable；　and　bitter　of　that　end？　Justice！　　There　was　no　justice　for　men；　for　they　were　ever　in　the　dark！

Or　perhaps　in　his　philosophy　he　thought：　Better　to　be　out　of；　it　all！　　Better　to　have　done　with　it；　like　this　poor　youth。。。。

Some　one　touched　him　on　the　arm。

A　tear　started　up　and　wetted　his　eyelash。　　〃Well；〃　he　said；　〃I'm　no　good　here。　　I'd　better　be　going。　　You'll　come　to　me　as　soon　as　you　can；　Jo；〃　and　with　his　head　bowed　he　went　away。

It　was　young　Jolyon's　turn　to　take　his　stand　beside　the　dead　man；　round　whose　fallen　body　he　seemed　to　see　all　the　Forsytes　breathless；　and　prostrated。　　The　stroke　had　fallen　too　swiftly。

The　forces　underlying　every　tragedyforces　that　take　no　denial；　working　through　cross　currents　to　their　ironical　end；　had　met　and　fused　with　a　thunder…clap；　flung　out　the　victim；　and　flattened　to　the　ground　all　those　that　stood　around。

Or　so　at　all　events　young　Jolyon　seemed　to　see　them；　lying　around　Bosinney's　body。

He　asked　the　Inspector　to　tell　him　what　had　happened；　and　the　latter；　like　a　man　who　does　not　every　day　get　such　a　chance；　again　detailed　such　facts　as　were　known。

〃There's　more　here；　sir；　however；〃　he　said；　〃than　meets　the　eye。　I　don't　believe　in　suicide；　nor　in　pure　accident；　myself。　　It's　more　likely　I　think　that　he　was　suffering　under　great　stress　of　mind；　and　took　no　notice　of　things　about　him。　　Perhaps　you　can　throw　some　light　on　these。〃

He　took　from　his　pocket　a　little　packet　and　laid　it　on　the　table。　Carefully　undoing　it；　he　revealed　a　lady's　handkerchief；　pinned　through　the　folds　with　a　pin　of　discoloured　Venetian　gold；　the　stone　of　which　had　fallen　from　the　socket。　　A　scent　of　dried　violets　rose　to　young　Jolyon's　nostrils。

〃Found　in　his　breast　pocket；〃　said　the　Inspector；　〃the　name　has　been　cut　away！〃

Young　Jolyon　with　difficulty　answered：　〃I'm　afraid　I　cannot　help　you！〃　　But　vividly　there　rose　before　him　the　face　he　had　seen　light　up；　so　tremulous　and　glad；　at　Bosinney's　coming！　　Of　her　he　thought　more　than　of　his　own　daughter；　more　than　of　them　allof　her　with　the　dark；　soft　glance；　the　delicate　passive　face；　waiting　for　the　dead　man；　waiting　even　at　that　moment；　perhaps；　still　and　patient　in　the　sunlight。

He　walked　sorrowfully　away　from　the　hospital　towards　his　father's　house；　reflecting　that　this　death　would　break　up　the　Forsyte　family。　　The　stroke　had　indeed　slipped　past　their　defences　into　the　very　wood　of　their　tree。　　They　might　flourish　to　all　appearance　as　before；　preserving　a　brave　show　before　the　eyes　of　London；　but　the　trunk　was　dead；　withered　by　the　same　flash　that　had　stricken　down　Bosinney。　　And　now　the　saplings　would　take　its　place；　each　one　a　new　custodian　of　the　sense　of　property。

Good　forest　of　Forsytes！　thought　young　Jolyonsoundest　timber　of　our　land！

Concerning　the　cause　of　this　deathhis　family　would　doubtless　reject　with　vigour　the　suspicion　of　suicide；　which　was　so　compromising！　　They　would　take　it　as　an　accident；　a　stroke　of　fate。　　In　their　hearts　they　would　even　feel　it　an　intervention　of　Providence；　a　retributionhad　not　Bosinney　endangered　their　two　most　priceless　possessions；　the　pocket　and　the　hearth？　　And　they　would　talk　of　'that　unfortunate　accident　of　young　Bosinney's；'　but　perhaps　they　would　not　talksilence　might　be　better！

As　for　himself；　he　regarded　the　bus…driver's　account　of　the　accident　as　of　very　little　value。　　For　no　one　so　madly　in　love　committed　suicide　for　want　of　money；　nor　was　Bosinney　the　sort　of　fellow　to　set　much　store　by　a　financial　crisis。　　And　so　he　too　rejected　this　theory　of　suicide；　the　dead　man's　face　rose　too　clearly　before　him。　　Gone　in　the　heyday　of　his　summerand　to　believe　thus　that　an　accident　had　cut　Bosinney　off　in　the　full　sweep　of　his　passion　was　more　than　ever　pitiful　to　young　Jolyon。

Then　came　a　vision　of　Soames'　home　as　it　now　was；　and　must　be　hereafter。　　The　streak　of　lightning　had　flashed　its　clear　uncanny　gleam　on　bare　bones　with　grinning　spaces　between；　the　disguising　flesh　was　gone。。。。

In　the　dining…room　at　Stanhope　Gate　old　Jolyon　was　sitting　alone　when　his　son　came　in。　　He　looked　very　wan　in　his　great　armchair。　And　his　eyes　travelling　round　the　walls　with　their　pictures　of　still　life；　and　the　masterpiece　'Dutch　fishing…boats　at　Sunset'　seemed　as　though　passing　their　gaze　over　his　life　with　its　hopes；　its　gains；　its　achievements。

〃Ah！　Jo！〃　he　said；　〃is　that　you？　　I've　told　poor　little　June。　But　that's　not　all　of　it。　　Are　you　going　to　Soames'？　　She's　brought　it　on　herself；　I　suppose；　but　somehow　I　can't　bear　to　think　of　her；　shut　up　thereand　all　alone。〃　And　holding　up　his　thin；　veined　hand；　he　clenched　it。




CHAPTER　IX

IRENE'S　RETURN


After　leaving　James　and　old　Jolyon　in　the　mortuary　of　the　hospital；　Soames　hurried　aimlessly　along　the　streets。

The　tragic　event　of　Bosinney's　death　altered　the　complexion　of　everything。　　There　was　no　longer　the　same　feeling　that　to　lose　a　minute　would　be　fatal；　nor　would　he　now　risk　communicating　the　fact　of　his　wife's　flight　to　anyone　till　the　inquest　was　over。

That　morning　he　had　risen　early；　before　the　postman　came；　had　taken　the　first…post　letters　from　the　box　himself；　and；　though　there　had　been　none　from　Irene；　he　had　made　an　opportunity　of　telling　Bilson　that　her　mistress　was　at　the　sea；　he　would　probably；　he　said；　be　going　down　himself　from　Saturday　to　Monday。　This　had　given　him　time　to　breathe；　time　to　leave　no　stone　unturned　to　find　her。

But　now；　cut　off　from　taking　steps　by　Bosinney's　deaththat　strange　death；　to　think　of　which　was　like　putting　a　hot　iron　to　his　heart；　like　lifting　a　great　weight　from　ithe　did　not　know　how　to　pass　his　day；　and　he　wandered　here　and　there　through　the　streets；　looking　at　every　face　he　met；　devoured　by　a　hundred　anxieties。

And　as　he　wandered；　he　thought　of　him　who　had　finished　his　wandering；