ButJolyondidnotrespond。Hehadsomethingofhisfather’sbalance,andcouldseethingsimpartiallyevenwhenhisemotionswereroused。Irenewasright;Soames’positionwasasbadorworsethanherown。Asforthelaw——itcateredforahumannatureofwhichittookanaturallylowview。And,feelingthatifhestayedinhisdaughter’scompanyhewouldinonewayoranothercommitanindiscretion,hetoldherhemustcatchhistrainbacktoOxford;
andhailingacab,lefthertoTurner’swater-colours,withthepromisethathewouldthinkoverthatGallery。
ButhethoughtoverIreneinstead。Pity,theysaid,wasakintolove!Ifsohewascertainlyindangeroflovingher,forhepitiedherprofoundly。TothinkofherdriftingaboutEuropesohandicappedandlonely!’Ihopetogoodnessshe’llkeepherhead!’
hethought;’shemighteasilygrowdesperate。’Infact,nowthatshehadcutloosefromherpoorthreadsofoccupation,hecouldn’timaginehowshewouldgoon——sobeautifulacreature,hopeless,andfairgameforanyone!Inhisexasperationwasmorethanalittlefearandjealousy。Womendidstrangethingswhentheyweredrivenintocorners。’IwonderwhatSoameswilldonow!’hethought。’A
rotten,idioticstateofthings!AndIsupposetheywouldsayitwasherownfault。’Verypreoccupiedandsoreatheart,hegotintohistrain,mislaidhisticket,andontheplatformatOxfordtookhishatofftoaladywhosefaceheseemedtorememberwithoutbeingabletoputanametoher,notevenwhenhesawherhavingteaattheRainbow。
CHAPTERIV
WHEREFORSYTESFEARTOTREAD
Quiveringfromthedefeatofhishopes,withthegreenmoroccocasestillflatagainsthisheart,Soamesrevolvedthoughtsbitterasdeath。Aspider’sweb!Walkingfast,andnotingnothinginthemoonlight,hebroodedoverthescenehehadbeenthrough,overthememoryofherfigurerigidinhisgrasp。Andthemorehebrooded,themorecertainhebecamethatshehadalover——herwords,’I
wouldsoonerdie!’wereridiculousifshehadnot。Evenifshehadneverlovedhim,shehadmadenofussuntilBosinneycameonthescene。No;shewasinloveagain,orshewouldnothavemadethatmelodramaticanswertohisproposal,whichinallthecircumstanceswasreasonable!Verywell!Thatsimplifiedmatters。
’I’lltakestepstoknowwhereIam,’hethought;’I’llgotoPolteed’sthefirstthingtomorrowmorning。’
Buteveninformingthatresolutionheknewhewouldhavetroublewithhimself。HehademployedPolteed’sagencyseveraltimesintheroutineofhisprofession,evenquitelatelyoverDartie’scase,buthehadneverthoughtitpossibletoemploythemtowatchhisownwife。
Itwastooinsultingtohimself!
Hesleptoverthatprojectandhiswoundedpride——orrather,keptvigil。OnlywhileshavingdidhesuddenlyrememberthatshecalledherselfbyhermaidennameofHeron。Polteedwouldnotknow,atfirstatallevents,whosewifeshewas,wouldnotlookathimobsequiouslyandleerbehindhisback。Shewouldjustbethewifeofoneofhisclients。Andthatwouldbetrue——forwashenothisownsolicitor?
Hewasliterallyafraidnottoputhisdesignintoexecutionatthefirstpossiblemoment,lest,afterall,hemightfailhimself。AndmakingWarmsonbringhimanearlycupofcoffee;hestoleoutofthehousebeforethehourofbreakfast。HewalkedrapidlytooneofthosesmallWestEndstreetswherePolteed’sandotherfirmsministeredtothevirtuesofthewealthierclasses。HithertohehadalwayshadPolteedtoseehiminthePoultry;buthewellknewtheiraddress,andreacheditattheopeninghour。Intheouteroffice,aroomfurnishedsocosilythatitmighthavebeenamoney-lender’s,hewasattendedbyaladywhomighthavebeenaschoolmistress。”IwishtoseeMr。ClaudPolteed。Heknowsme——nevermindmyname。”
Tokeepeverybodyfromknowingthathe,SoamesForsyte,wasreducedtohavinghiswifespiedon,wastheoverpoweringconsideration。
Mr。ClaudPolteed——sodifferentfromMr。LewisPolteed——wasoneofthosemenwithdarkhair,slightlycurvednoses,andquickbrowneyes,whomightbetakenforJewsbutarereallyPhoenicians;hereceivedSoamesinaroomhushedbythicknessofcarpetandcurtains。Itwas,infact,confidentiallyfurnished,withouttraceofdocumentanywheretobeseen。
GreetingSoamesdeferentially,heturnedthekeyintheonlydoorwithacertainostentation。”Ifaclientsendsforme,”hewasinthehabitofsaying,”hetakeswhatprecautionhelikes。Ifhecomeshere,weconvincehimthatwehavenoleakages。Imaysafelysayweleadinsecurity,ifinnothingelse……””Now,sir,whatcanIdoforyou?”
Soames’gorgehadrisensothathecouldhardlyspeak。Itwasabsolutelynecessarytohidefromthismanthathehadanybutprofessionalinterestinthematter;and,mechanically,hisfaceassumeditssidewaysmile。”I’vecometoyouearlylikethisbecausethere’snotanhourtolose”——ifhelostanhourhemightfailhimselfyet!”Haveyouareallytrustworthywomanfree?”
Mr。Polteedunlockedadrawer,producedamemorandum,ranhiseyesoverit,andlockedthedrawerupagain。”Yes,”hesaid;”theverywoman。”
Soameshadseatedhimselfandcrossedhislegs——nothingbutafaintflush,whichmighthavebeenhisnormalcomplexion,betrayedhim。”Sendheroffatonce,then,towatchaMrs。IreneHeronofFlatC,TruroMansions,Chelsea,tillfurthernotice。””Precisely,”saidMr。Polteed;”divorce,Ipresume?”andheblewintoaspeaking-tube。”Mrs。Blanchin?Ishallwanttospeaktoherintenminutes。””Dealwithanyreportsyourself,”resumedSoames,”andsendthemtomepersonally,markedconfidential,sealedandregistered。Myclientexactstheutmostsecrecy。”
Mr。Polteedsmiled,asthoughsaying,’Youareteachingyourgrandmother,mydearsir;andhiseyesslidoverSoames’faceforoneunprofessionalinstant。”Makehismindperfectlyeasy,”hesaid。”Doyousmoke?””No,”saidSoames。”Understandme:Nothingmaycomeofthis。Ifanamegetsout,orthewatchingissuspected,itmayhaveveryseriousconsequences。”
Mr。Polteednodded。”Icanputitintotheciphercategory。Underthatsystemanameisnevermentioned;weworkbynumbers。”
Heunlockedanotherdrawerandtookouttwoslipsofpaper,wroteonthem,andhandedonetoSoames。”Keepthat,sir;it’syourkey。Iretainthisduplicate。Thecasewe’llcall7x。Thepartywatchedwillbe17;thewatcher19;theMansions25;yourself——Ishouldsay,yourfirm——31;myfirm32,myself2。IncaseyoushouldhavetomentionyourclientinwritingIhavecalledhim43;anypersonwesuspectwillbe47;
asecondperson51。Anyspecialhintorinstructionwhilewe’reaboutit?””No,”saidSoames;”thatis——everyconsiderationcompatible。”
AgainMr。Polteednodded。”Expense?”
Soamesshrugged。”Inreason,”heansweredcurtly,andgotup。”Keepitentirelyinyourownhands。””Entirely,”saidMr。Polteed,appearingsuddenlybetweenhimandthedoor。”Ishallbeseeingyouinthatothercasebeforelong。
Goodmorning,sir。”HiseyesslidunprofessionallyoverSoamesoncemore,andheunlockedthedoor。”Goodmorning,”saidSoames,lookingneithertorightnorleft。
Outinthestreethesworedeeply,quietly,tohimself。Aspider’sweb,andtocutithemustusethisspidery,secret,uncleanmethod,soutterlyrepugnanttoonewhoregardedhisprivatelifeashismostsacredpieceofproperty。Butthediewascast,hecouldnotgoback。AndhewentonintothePoultry,andlockedawaythegreenmoroccocaseandthekeytothatcipherdestinedtomakecrystal-clearhisdomesticbankruptcy。
Oddthatonewhoselifewasspentinbringingtothepubliceyealltheprivatecoilsofproperty,thedomesticdisagreementsofothers,shoulddreadsoutterlythepubliceyeturnedonhisown;
andyetnotodd,forwhoshouldknowsowellashethewholeunfeelingprocessoflegalregulation。
Heworkedhardallday。Winifredwasdueatfouro’clock;hewastotakeherdowntoaconferenceintheTemplewithDreamerQ。C。,andwaitingforherhere-readtheletterhehadcausedhertowritethedayofDartie’sdeparture,requiringhimtoreturn。”DEARMONTAGUE,”IhavereceivedyourletterwiththenewsthatyouhaveleftmeforeverandareonyourwaytoBuenosAires。Ithasnaturallybeenagreatshock。IamtakingthisearliestopportunityofwritingtotellyouthatIampreparedtoletbygonesbebygonesifyouwillreturntomeatonce。Ibegyoutodoso。Iamverymuchupset,andwillnotsayanymorenow。IamsendingthisletterregisteredtotheaddressyouleftatyourClub。Pleasecabletome。”Yourstillaffectionatewife,”WINIFREDDARTIE。”
Ugh!Whatbitterhumbug!HerememberedleaningoverWinifredwhileshecopiedwhathehadpencilled,andhowshehadsaid,layingdownherpen,”Supposehecomes,Soames!”insuchastrangetoneofvoice,asifshedidnotknowherownmind。”Hewon’tcome,”hehadanswered,”tillhe’sspenthismoney。That’swhywemustactatonce。”AnnexedtothecopyofthatletterwastheoriginalofDartie’sdrunkenscrawlfromtheIseeumClub。Soamescouldhavewishedithadnotbeensomanifestlypennedinliquor。
JustthesortofthingtheCourtwouldpitchon。HeseemedtoheartheJudge’svoicesay:”Youtookthisseriously!Seriouslyenoughtowritehimasyoudid?Doyouthinkhemeantit?”Nevermind!
ThefactwasclearthatDartiehadsailedandhadnotreturned。
Annexedalsowashiscabledanswer:”Impossiblereturn。Dartie。”