dilectionsoftheEnglishmiddle-classtodealwith。AttheendofthegallerywasaMeissonierofwhichhewasratherashamed——
　　Meissonierwassosteadilygoingdown。MadameLamottestoppedbeforeit。”Meissonier！Ah！Whatajewel！”Soamestookadvantageofthatmoment。VerygentlytouchingAnnette’sarm，hesaid：”Howdoyoulikemyplace，Annette?”
　　Shedidnotshrink，didnotrespond；shelookedathimfull，lookeddown，andmurmured：”Whowouldnotlikeit?Itissobeautiful！””Perhapssomeday”Soamessaid，andstopped。
　　Soprettyshewas，soself-possessed——shefrightenedhim。Thosecornflower-blueeyes，theturnofthatcreamyneck，herdelicatecurves——shewasastandingtemptationtoindiscretion！No！No！
　　Onemustbesureofone’sground——muchsurer！’IfIholdoff，’hethought，’itwilltantaliseher。’AndhecrossedovertoMadameLamotte，whowasstillinfrontoftheMeissonier。”Yes，that’squiteagoodexampleofhislaterwork。Youmustcomeagain，Madame，andseethemlightedup。Youmustbothcomeandspendanight。”
　　Enchanted，woulditnotbebeautifultoseethemlighted?Bymoonlighttoo，therivermustberavishing！
　　Annettemurmured：”Thouartsentimental，Maman！”
　　Sentimental！Thatblack-robed，comely，substantialFrenchwomanoftheworld！Andsuddenlyhewascertainashecouldbethattherewasnosentimentineitherofthem。Allthebetter。Ofwhatusesentiment?Andyet……！
　　Hedrovetothestationwiththem，andsawthemintothetrain。TothetightenedpressureofhishanditseemedthatAnnette’sfingersrespondedjustalittle；herfacesmiledathimthroughthedark。
　　Hewentbacktothecarriage，brooding。”Goonhome，Jordan，”hesaidtothecoachman；”I’llwalk。”Andhestrodeoutintothedarkeninglanes，cautionandthedesireofpossessionplayingsee-sawwithinhim。’Bonsoir，monsieur！’Howsoftlyshehadsaidit。Toknowwhatwasinhermind！TheFrench——theywerelikecats——onecouldtellnothing！But——howpretty！Whataperfectyoungthingtoholdinone’sarms！Whatamotherforhisheir！
　　Andhethought，withasmile，ofhisfamilyandtheirsurpriseataFrenchwife，andtheircuriosity，andofthewayhewouldplaywithitandbuffetitconfoundthem！
　　The，poplarssighedinthedarkness；anowlhooted。Shadowsdeepenedinthewater。’Iwillandmustbefree，’hethought。’I
　　won’thangaboutanylonger。I’llgoandseeIrene。Ifyouwantthingsdone，dothemyourself。Imustliveagain——liveandmoveandhavemybeing。’Andinechotothatqueerbiblicalitychurch-
　　bellschimedthecalltoeveningprayer。
　　CHAPTERXI
　　ANDVISITSTHEPAST
　　OnaTuesdayeveningafterdiningathisclubSoamessetouttodowhatrequiredmorecourageandperhapslessdelicacythananythinghehadyetundertakeninhislife——saveperhapshisbirth，andoneotheraction。Hechosetheevening，indeed，partlybecauseIrenewasmorelikelytobein，butmainlybecausehehadfailedtofindsufficientresolutionbydaylight，hadneededwinetogivehimextradaring。
　　HelefthishansomontheEmbankment，andwalkeduptotheOldChurch，uncertainoftheblockofflatswhereheknewshelived。
　　Hefoundithidingbehindamuchlargermansion；andhavingreadthename，’Mrs。IreneHeron’——Heron，forsooth！Hermaidenname：sosheusedthatagain，didshe?——hesteppedbackintotheroadtolookupatthewindowsofthefirstfloor。Lightwascomingthroughinthecornerfiat，andhecouldhearapianobeingplayed。
　　Hehadneverhadaloveofmusic，hadsecretlyborneitagrudgeintheolddayswhensooftenshehadturnedtoherpiano，makingofitarefugeplaceintowhichsheknewhecouldnotenter。Repulse！
　　Thelongrepulse，atfirstrestrainedandsecret，atlastopen！
　　Bittermemorycamewiththatsound。Itmustbesheplaying，andthusalmostassuredofseeingher，hestoodmoreundecidedthanever。Shiversofanticipationranthroughhim；histonguefeltdry，hisheartbeatfast。’Ihavenocausetobeafraid，’hethought。Andthenthelawyerstirredwithinhim。Washedoingafoolishthing?Oughthenottohavearrangedaformalmeetinginthepresenceofhertrustee?No！NotbeforethatfellowJolyon，whosympathisedwithher！Never！Hecrossedbackintothedoorway，and，slowly，tokeepdownthebeatingofhisheart，mountedthesingleflightofstairsandrangthebell。Whenthedoorwasopenedtohimhissensationswereregulatedbythescentwhichcame——thatperfumefromawaybackinthepast，bringingmuffledremembrance：fragranceofadrawing-roomheusedtoenter，ofahouseheusedtoown——perfumeofdriedrose-leavesandhoney！”Say，Mr。Forsyte，”hesaid，”yourmistresswillseeme，Iknow。”
　　Hehadthoughtthisout；shewouldthinkitwasJolyon！
　　Whenthemaidwasgoneandhewasaloneinthetinyhall，wherethelightwasdimfromonepearly-shadedsconce，andwalls，carpet，everythingwassilvery，makingthewalled-inspaceallghostly，hecouldonlythinkridiculously：’ShallIgoinwithmyovercoaton，ortakeitoff?’Themusicceased；themaidsaidfromthedoorway：”Willyouwalkin，sir?”
　　Soameswalkedin。Henotedmechanicallythatallwasstillsilvery，andthattheuprightpianowasofsatinwood。Shehadrisenandstoodrecoiledagainstit；herhand，placedonthekeysasifgropingforsupport，hadstruckasuddendiscord，heldforamoment，andreleased。Thelightfromtheshadedpiano-candlefellonherneck，leavingherfaceratherinshadow。Shewasinablackeveningdress，withasortofmantillaoverhershoulders——hedidnotremembereverhavingseenherinblack，andthethoughtpassedthroughhim：’Shedressesevenwhenshe’salone。’”You！”heheardherwhisper。
　　ManytimesSoameshadrehearsedthissceneinfancy。Rehearsalservedhimnotatall。Hesimplycouldnotspeak。Hehadneverthoughtthatthesightofthiswomanwhomhehadoncesopassionatelydesired，socompletelyowned，andwhomhehadnotseenfortwelveyears，couldaffecthiminthisway。Hehadimaginedhimselfspeakingandacting，halfasmanofbusiness，halfasjudge。Andnowitwasasifhewereinthepresencenotofamerewomananderringwife，butofsomeforce，subtleandelusiveasatmo-sphereitselfwithinhimandoutside。Akindofdefensiveironywelledupinhim。”Yes，it’saqueervisit！Ihopeyou’rewell。””Thankyou。Willyousitdown?”
　　Shehadmovedawayfromthepiano，andgoneovertoawindow-seat，sinkingontoit，withherhandsclaspedinherlap。Lightfellonherthere，sothatSoamescouldseeherface，eyes，hair，strangelyasherememberedthem，strangelybeautiful。
　　Hesatdownontheedgeofasatinwoodchair，upholsteredwithsilver-colouredstuff，closetowherehewasstanding。”Youhavenotchanged，”hesaid。”No?Whathaveyoucomefor?””Todiscussthings。””Ihaveheardwhatyouwantfromyourcousin。””Well?””Iamwilling。Ihavealwaysbeen。”
　　Thesoundofhervoice，reservedandclose，thesightofherfigurewatchfullypoised，defensive，washelpinghimnow。Athousandmemoriesofher，everonthewatchagainsthim，stirred，and……”Perhapsyouwillbegoodenough，then，togivemeinformationonwhichIcanact。Thelawmustbecompliedwith。””Ihavenonetogiveyouthatyoudon’tknowof。”Twelveyears！DoyousupposeIcanbelievethat?””Idon’tsupposeyouwillbelieveanythingIsay；butit’sthetruth。”
　　Soameslookedatherhard。Hehadsaidthatshehadnotchanged；
　　nowheperceivedthatshehad。Notinface，exceptthatitwasmorebeautiful；notinform，exceptthatitwasalittlefuller——
　　no！Shehadchangedspiritually。Therewasmoreofher，asitwere，somethingofactivityanddaring，wheretherehadbeensheerpassiveresistance。’Ah！’hethought，’that’sherindependentincome！ConfoundUncleJolyon！’”Isupposeyou’recomfortablyoffnow?”hesaid。”Thankyou，yes。””Whydidn’tyouletmeprovideforyou?Iwouldhave，inspiteofeverything。”
　　Afaintsmilecameonherlips；butshedidnotanswer。