The Forsyte Saga, Volume III. / Awakening / To Let

e are 'vieux jeu,' Soames Forsyte inhabited a house which did what it could. It owned a copper door knocker of individual design, windows which had been altered to open outwards

itants or visitors could be screened from the eyes of the curious while they dra

ts size, the house was commodious; there were countless nooks resembling

e owner for his advancement, in accordance with the laws of competition. This competitive daintiness had caused Soames in his Marlborough days to be the first boy into white waistcoats in summer, and corduroy waistcoats

t of place, a tie deviating one-eighth of an inch from the perpendicular, a collar unglossed! He would not have gone

bathing in wayside streams, for the joy of t

ruggle between Saxon and Celt still going on within the nation, the more impressio

s with the same high aspirations, having become: 'That very charming littl

, the name in fact of any upper-middle class Englishman in London with any pr

'-Soames and Irene were seated at dinner. A hot dinner on Sundays was a little distinguishing elegance common to this house and many others. Earl

n-servants were devoted to Irene, who, in defiance of all safe tradition, ap

gularly, at the handsome rosewood table; they dined without a c

lked Irene's silence did not distress him. This evening he had found it impossible to talk. The dec

him once since they sat down; and he wondered what on earth she had been thinking about all the time. It was hard, when a man worked as he did, making money for her-yes, an

feeling of superiority to the majority of his acquaintance, whose wives were contented with their best high frocks or with tea-gowns

rettier than the woman who sat at it? Gratitude was no virtue among Forsytes, who, competitive, and full of common-sense, had no occasion for it; and Soames only experienced a sense of exasper

cted, his silver, his pictures, his houses, his investments,

made her his own, and it seemed to him contrary to the most fundamental of all laws, the law of possession, that he could do no more than own her body-if indeed he could do that, which he was begi

lest by word, motion, or sign she might lead him to believe that she

reat novel reader), literature coloured his view of life; and

was not very fond of-which ended in tragedy, the wife always died with poignant regrets on her lips,

r; but before he reached home again, driving with Irene in a hansom, he saw that this would not do, and he was glad the play had ended as it had. There was one class of husband that had just then come into fashion, the strong, rather rough, but extremely sound man, who was peculiarly successful at the end of the play; with this person Soames was really

ince it is always the unusual which alarms, Soames was alarmed. He ate his savoury, and hurried the maid as she

en here thi

un

s that people did not go anywhere unless they wanted

made n

if she were sweeter on him than he is on

made him feel

s to say such a th

Anybody ca

they could, it's di

composure

racked about June! I can tell you one thing: now that she has the Buccaneer in tow, she doesn't care twopence ab

rst of irritation. He had expected a cry of dismay; the sil

nterested," he wa

w it a

d at her

told

un

id she

r. Baffled and unco

it'll be the making of him. I sup

es

er pause, and t

you don't w

made n

at you want. You never

es anything t

his that he had signed that contract? Was it for this that he was going to spend s

had expected something more than this. It was lucky, after all, that June had broken t

nd, puffing the cigarette smoke at a lady-bird on the shining table, he plunged into a reverie about the house. It was no good worrying; he wo

shining eyes, and the words: "Soames is a brick

ining dark and pu

bin Hill, of course.

did no

look as if you didn't care. Don't you see, it's what I've' been praying for-the very chance he's bee

given to confidences of her own; and at times, for all her affectionate pity, it was impossible to keep out of her smile

curtain. "Do you, know I even asked Uncle James...." But, with a sudden dislike to mentioning that incident, she stopped; and presently, finding her friend so unresponsive, went away.

-room presently, and peere

sitting very still, the lace on her white shoulders

ere seemed a warmth, a hidden fervour of feeling, as if the whole of her be

to the dining-