To Let by John Galsworthy (the beginning after the end novel read TXT) 📖
- Author: John Galsworthy
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"Yes," Said Jon. And Again Her Words Seemed To Him A Reproach.
"He Never Give No Trouble To No One, And Smile So Gentle."
"Yes! Doesn't He?"
"He Look At Miss Forsyte So Funny Sometimes. I Tell Him All My Story;
He So Sympatisch. Your Mother--She Nice And Well?"
"Very."
"He Have Her Photograph On His Dressing-Table. Veree Beautiful."
Jon Gulped Down His Tea. This Woman, With Her Concerned Face And Her
Reminding Words, Was Like The First And Second Murderers.
"Thank You," He Said; "I Must Go Now. May--May I Leave This With You?"
He Put A Ten-Shilling Note On The Tray With A Doubting Hand And Gained
The Door. He Heard The Austrian Gasp, And Hurried Out. He Had Just Time
To Catch His Train, And All The Way To Victoria Looked At Every Face
That Passed, As Lovers Will, Hoping Against Hope. On Reaching Worthing
He Put His Luggage Into The Local Train, And Set Out Across The Downs
For Wansdon, Trying To Walk Off His Aching Irresolution. So Long As He
Went Full Bat, He Could Enjoy The Beauty Of Those Green Slopes,
Stopping Now And Again To Sprawl On The Grass, Admire The Perfection Of
A Wild Rose, Or Listen To A Lark's Song. But The War Of Motives Within
Him Was But Postponed--The Longing For Fleur, And The Hatred Of
Deception.
Part II X (Decision) Pg 34He Came To The Old Chalk-Pit Above Wansdon With His Mind No
More Made Up Than When He Started. To See Both Sides Of A Question
Vigorously Was At Once Jon's Strength And Weakness. He Tramped In, Just
As The First Dinner-Bell Rang. His Things Had Already Been Brought Up.
He Had A Hurried Bath And Came Down To Find Holly Alone--Val Had Gone
To Town And Would Not Be Back Till The Last Train.
Since Val's Advice To Him To Ask His Sister What Was The Matter Between
The Two Families, So Much Had Happened--Fleur's Disclosure In The Green
Park, Her Visit To Robin Hill, To-Day's Meeting--That There Seemed
Nothing To Ask. He Talked Of Spain, His Sunstroke, Val's Horses, Their
Father's Health. Holly Startled Him By Saying That She Thought Their
Father Not At All Well. She Had Been Twice To Robin Hill For The
Week-End. He Had Seemed Fearfully Languid, Sometimes Even In Pain, But
Had Always Refused To Talk About Himself.
"He's Awfully Dear And Unselfish--Don't You Think, Jon?"
Feeling Far From Dear And Unselfish Himself, Jon Answered: "Rather!"
"I Think, He's Been A Simply Perfect Father, So Long As I Can Remember."
"Yes," Answered Jon, Very Subdued.
"He's Never Interfered, And He's Always Seemed To Understand. I've Not
Forgotten How He Let Me Go Out To South Africa In The Boer War When I
Was In Love With Val."
"That Was Before He Married Mother, Wasn't It?" Said Jon Suddenly.
"Yes. Why?"
"Oh! Nothing.
Part II X (Decision) Pg 35Only, Wasn't She Engaged To Fleur's Father First?"
Holly Put Down The Spoon She Was Using, And Raised Her Eyes. Her Stare
Was Circumspect. What Did The Boy Know? Enough To Make It Better To
Tell Him? She Could Not Decide. He Looked Strained And Worried,
Altogether Older, But That Might Be The Sunstroke.
"There Was Something," She Said. "Of Course We Were Out There, And Got
No News Of Anything." She Could Not Take The Risk. It Was Not Her
Secret. Besides, She Was In The Dark About His Feelings Now. Before
Spain She Had Made Sure He Was In Love; But Boys Were Boys; That Was
Seven Weeks Ago, And All Spain Between.
She Saw That He Knew She Was Putting Him Off, And Added:
"Have You Heard Anything Of Fleur?"
"Yes."
His Face Told Her More Than The Most Elaborate Explanations. He Had Not
Forgotten!
She Said Very Quietly: "Fleur Is Awfully Attractive, Jon, But You
Know--Val And I Don't Really Like Her Very Much."
"Why?"
"We Think She's Got Rather A 'Having' Nature."
"'Having?' I Don't Know What You Mean. She--She--" He Pushed His
Dessert Plate Away, Got Up, And Went To The Window.
Part II X (Decision) Pg 36Holly, Too, Got Up, And Put Her Arm Round His Waist.
"Don't Be Angry, Jon Dear. We Can't All See People In The Same Light,
Can We? I Believe Each Of Us Only Has About One Or Two People Who Can
See The Best That's In Us, And Bring It Out. For You I Think It's Your
Mother. I Once Saw Her Looking At A Letter Of Yours; It Was Wonderful
To See Her Face. I Think She's The Most Beautiful Woman I Ever Saw--Age
Doesn't Seem To Touch Her."
Jon's Face Softened, Then Again Became Tense. He Recognised The
Intention Of Those Words. Everybody Was Against Him And Fleur! It All
Strengthened Her Appeal:
"Make Sure Of Me--Marry Me, Jon!"
Here, Where He Had Passed That Wonderful Week With Her--The Tug Of Her
Enchantment, The Ache In His Heart Increased With Every Minute That She
Was Not There To Make The Room, The Garden, The Very Air Magical. Would
He Ever Be Able To Live Down Here, Not Seeing Her? And He Closed Up
Utterly, Going Early To Bed. It Would Not Make Him Healthy, Wealthy,
And Wise, But It Closeted Him With Memory Of Fleur In Her Fancy Frock.
He Heard Val's Arrival--The Ford Discharging Cargo, Then The Stillness
Of The Summer Night Stole Back--With Only The Bleating Of Very Distant
Sheep, And A Night-Jar's Harsh Purring. He Leaned Far Out. Cold
Moon--Warm Air--The Downs Like Silver! Small Wings, A Stream Bubbling,
The Rambler Roses! God-How Empty All Of It Without Her! In The Bible It
Was Written: Thou Shalt Leave Father And Mother And Cleave To--Fleur!
Let Him Have Pluck, And Go And Tell Them! They Couldn't Stop Him
Marrying Her--They Wouldn't Want To Stop Him When They Knew How He
Felt.
Part II X (Decision) Pg 37Yes! He Would Go! Bold And Open--Fleur Was Wrong!
The Night-Jar Ceased, The Sheep Were Silent; The Only Sound In The
Darkness Was The Bubbling Of The Stream. And Jon In His Bed Slept,
Freed From The Worst Of Life's Evils--Indecision.
Part II XI (Timothy Prophesies) Pg 38
On The Day Of The Cancelled Meeting At The National Gallery, Began The
Second Anniversary Of The Resurrection Of England's Pride And
Glory--Or, More Shortly, The Top Hat. "Lord's"--That Festival Which The
War Had Driven From The Field--Raised Its Light And Dark Blue Flags For
The Second Time, Displaying Almost Every Feature Of A Glorious Past.
Here, In The Luncheon Interval, Were All Species Of Female And One
Species Of Male Hat, Protecting The Multiple Types Of Face Associated
With "The Classes" The Observing Forsyte Might Discern In The Free Or
Unconsidered Seats A Certain Number Of The Squash-Hatted, But They
Hardly Ventured On The Grass; The Old School--Or Schools--Could Still
Rejoice That The Proletariat Was Not Yet Paying The Necessary
Half-Crown. Here Was Still A Close Borough, The Only One Left On A
Large Scale--For The Papers Were About To Estimate The Attendance At
Ten Thousand. And The Ten Thousand, All Animated By One Hope, Were
Asking Each Other One Question: "Where Are You Lunching?" Something
Wonderfully Uplifting And Reassuring In That Query And The Sight Of So
Many People Like Themselves Voicing It! What Reserve Power In The
British Realm--Enough Pigeons, Lobsters, Lamb, Salmon Mayonnaise,
Strawberries, And Bottles Of Champagne, To Feed The Lot! No Miracle In
Prospect--No Case Of Seven Loaves And A Few Fishes--Faith Rested On
Surer Foundations.
Part II XI (Timothy Prophesies) Pg 39
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