To Let by John Galsworthy (the beginning after the end novel read TXT) 📖
- Author: John Galsworthy
Book online «To Let by John Galsworthy (the beginning after the end novel read TXT) 📖». Author John Galsworthy
He Had A Sense Of Being Met And Baffled. Always--Always She Had Baffled
Him, Even In Those Old First Married Days.
"It's A Mad Notion," He Said.
"It Is."
"If You Had Only--! Well--They Might Have Been--" He Did Not Finish
That Sentence "Brother And Sister And All This Saved," But He Saw Her
Shudder As If He Had, And Stung By The Sight, He Crossed Over To The
Window. Out There The Trees Had Not Grown--They Couldn't, They Were Old!
"So Far As I'm Concerned," He Said, "You May Make Your Mind Easy. I
Desire To See Neither You Nor Your Son If This Marriage Comes About.
Young People In These Days Are--Are Unaccountable. But I Can't Bear To
See My Daughter Unhappy. What Am I To Say To Her When I Go Back?"
"Please Say To Her, As I Said To You, That It Rests With Jon."
"You Don't Oppose It?"
"With All My Heart; Not With My Lips."
Soames Stood, Biting His Finger.
"I Remember An Evening--" He Said Suddenly; And Was Silent. What Was
There--What Was There In This Woman That Would Not Fit Into The Four
Comers Of His Hate Or Condemnation? "Where Is He--Your Son?"
"Up In His Father's Studio, I Think."
Part III VII (Embassy) Pg 108"Perhaps You'd Have Him Down."
He Watched Her Ring The Bell, He Watched The Maid Come In.
"Please Tell Mr. Jon That I Want Him."
"If It Rests With Him," Said Soames Hurriedly, When The Maid Was Gone,
"I Suppose I May Take It For Granted That This Unnatural Marriage Will
Take Place: In That Case There'll Be Formalities. Whom Do I Deal
With--Herring's?" Irene Nodded.
"You Don't Propose To Live With Them?"
Irene Shook Her Head.
"What Happens To This House?"
"It Will Be As Jon Wishes."
"This House," Said Soames Suddenly: "I Had Hopes When I Began It. If
They Live In It--Their Children! They Say There's Such A Thing As
Nemesis. Do You Believe In It?"
"Yes."
"Oh! You Do!" He Had Come Back From The Window, And Was Standing Close
To Her, Who, In The Curve Of Her Grand Piano, Was, As It Were, Embayed.
Part III VII (Embassy) Pg 109"I'm Not Likely To See You Again," He Said Slowly: "Will You Shake
Hands," His Lip Quivered, The Words Came Out Jerkily, "And Let The Past
Die?" He Held Out His Hand. Her Pale Face Grew Paler, Her Eyes So Dark,
Rested Immovably On His, But Her Hands Remained Clasped In Front Of
Her. He Heard A Sound And Turned. That Boy Was Standing In The Opening
Of The Curtains. Very Queer He Looked, Hardly Recognisable As The Young
Fellow He Had Seen In The Gallery Off Cork Street--Very Queer; Much
Older, No Youth In The Face At All--Haggard, Rigid, His Hair Ruffled,
His Eyes Deep In His Head. Soames Made An Effort, And Said With A Lift
Of His Lip, Not Quite A Smile Nor Quite A Sneer:
"Well, Young Man! I'm Here For My Daughter; It Rests With You, It
Seems--This Matter. Your Mother Leaves It In Your Hands."
The Boy Continued Staring At His Mother's Face, And Made No Answer.
"For My Daughter's Sake I've Brought Myself To Come," Said Soames.
"What Am I To Say To Her When I Go Back?"
Still Looking At His Mother, The Boy Said, Quietly:
"Tell Fleur That It's No Good, Please; I Must Do As My Father Wished
Before He Died."
"Jon!"
"It's All Right, Mother."
In A Kind Of Stupefaction Soames Looked From One To The Other; Then,
Taking Up Hat And Umbrella, Which He Had Put Down On A Chair, He Walked
Towards The Curtains. The Boy Stood Aside For Him To Go By.
Part III VII (Embassy) Pg 110He Passed
Through And Heard The Grate Of The Rings As The Curtains Were Drawn
Behind Him. The Sound Liberated Something In His Chest.
'So That's That!' He Thought, And Passed Out Of The Front Door.
Part III VIII (The Dark Tune) Pg 111
As Soames Walked Away From The House At Robin Hill The Sun Broke
Through The Grey Of That Chill Afternoon, In Smoky Radiance. So
Absorbed In Landscape-Painting That He Seldom Looked Seriously For
Effects Of Nature Out-Of-Doors, He Was Struck By That Moody
Effulgence--It Mourned With A Triumph Suited To His Own Feeling.
Victory In Defeat! His Embassy Had Come To Naught. But He Was Rid Of
Those People, Had Regained His Daughter At The Expense Of--Her
Happiness. What Would Fleur Say To Him? Would She Believe He Had Done
His Best? And Under That Sunlight Flaring On The Elms, Hazels, Hollies
Of The Lane And Those Unexploited Fields, Soames Felt Dread. She Would
Be Terribly Upset! He Must Appeal To Her Pride. That Boy Had Given Her
Up, Declared Part And Lot With The Woman Who So Long Ago Had Given Her
Father Up! Soames Clenched His Hands. Given Him Up, And Why? What Had
Been Wrong With Him? And Once More He Felt The Malaise Of One Who
Contemplates Himself As Seen By Another--Like A Dog Who Chances On His
Reflection In A Mirror, And Is Intrigued And Anxious At The Unseizable
Thing.
Not In A Hurry To Get Home, He Dined In Town At The Connoisseurs. While
Eating A Pear It Suddenly Occurred To Him That, If He Had Not Gone Down
To Robin Hill, The Boy Might Not Have So Decided. He Remembered The
Expression On His Face While His Mother Was Refusing The Hand He Had
Held Out.
Part III VIII (The Dark Tune) Pg 112A Strange, An Awkward Thought! Had Fleur Cooked Her Own Goose
By Trying To Make Too Sure?
He Reached Home At Half-Past Nine. While The Car Was Passing In At One
Drive Gate He Heard The Grinding Sputter Of A Motor-Cycle Passing Out
By The Other. Young Mont, No Doubt, So Fleur Had Not Been Lonely. But
He Went In With A Sinking Heart. In The Cream-Panelled Drawing-Room She
Was Sitting With Her Elbows On Her Knees, And Her Chin On Her Clasped
Hands, In Front Of A White Camellia Plant Which Filled The Fireplace.
That Glance At Her Before She Saw Him Renewed His Dread. What Was She
Seeing Among Those White Camellias?
"Well, Father!"
Soames Shook His Head. His Tongue Failed Him. This Was Murderous Work!
He Saw Her Eyes Dilate, Her Lips Quivering.
"What? What? Quick, Father!"
"My Dear," Said Soames, "I--I Did My Best, But--" And Again He Shook
His Head.
Fleur Ran To Him And Put A Hand On Each Of His Shoulders.
"She?"
"No," Muttered Soames; "He. I Was To Tell You That It Was No Use; He
Must Do What His Father Wished Before He Died." He Caught Her By The
Waist. "Come, Child, Don't Let Them Hurt You. They're Not Worth Your
Little Finger."
Fleur Tore Herself From His Grasp.
Part III VIII (The Dark Tune) Pg 113"You Didn't--You Couldn't Have Tried. You--You Betrayed Me, Father!"
Bitterly Wounded, Soames Gazed At Her Passionate Figure Writhing There
In Front Of Him.
"You Didn't Try--You Didn't--I Was A Fool--I Won't Believe He Could--He
Ever Could! Only Yesterday He--! Oh! Why Did I Ask You?"
"Yes," Said Soames Quietly, "Why Did You? I Swallowed My Feelings; I
Did My Best For You, Against My Judgment--And This Is My Reward.
Good-Night!"
With Every Nerve In His Body Twitching He Went Towards The Door.
Fleur Darted After Him.
"He
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