HisboywasseldomabsentfromJolyon’smindinthedayswhichfollowedthefirstwalkwithIreneinRichmondPark。Nofurthernewshadcome；enquiriesattheWarOfficeelicitednothing；norcouldheexpecttohearfromJuneandHollyforthreeweeksatleast。InthesedayshefelthowinsufficientwerehismemoriesofJolly，andwhatanamateurofafatherhehadbeen。Therewasnotasinglememoryinwhichangerplayedapart；notonereconciliation，becausetherehadneverbeenarupture；noroneheart-to-heartconfidence，notevenwhenJolly’smotherdied。
　　Nothingbuthalf-ironicalaffection。Hehadbeentooafraidofcommittinghimselfinanydirection，forfearoflosinghisliberty，orinterferingwiththatofhisboy。
　　OnlyinIrene’spresencehadherelief，highlycomplicatedbytheever-growingperceptionofhowdividedhewasbetweenherandhisson。WithJollywasboundupallthatsenseofcontinuityandsocialcreedofwhichhehaddrunkdeeplyinhisyouthandagainduringhisboy’spublicschoolandvarsitylife——allthatsenseofnotgoingbackonwhatfatherandsonexpectedofeachother。WithIrenewasboundupallhisdelightinbeautyandinNature。Andheseemedtoknowlessandlesswhichwasthestrongerwithinhim。
　　>Fromsuchsentimentalparalysishewasrudelyawakened，however，oneafternoon，justashewasstartingofftoRichmond，byayoungmanwithabicycleandafaceoddlyfamiliar，whocameforwardfaintlysmiling。”Mr。JolyonForsyte?Thankyou！”PlacinganenvelopeinJolyon’shandhewheeledoffthepathandrodeaway。Bewildered，Jolyonopenedit。”AdmiraltyProbateandDivorce，Forsytev。ForsyteandForsyte！”
　　Asensationofshameanddisgustwasfollowedbytheinstantreaction’Why，here’stheverythingyouwant，andyoudon’tlikeit！’Butshemusthavehadonetoo；andhemustgotoheratonce。
　　Heturnedthingsoverashewentalong。Itwasanironicalbusi-
　　ness。For，whatevertheScripturessaidabouttheheart，ittookmorethanmerelongingstosatisfythelaw。Theycouldperfectlywelldefendthissuit，oratleastingoodfaithtryto。ButtheideaofdoingsorevoltedJolyon。Ifnotherloverindeedhewasindesire，andheknewthatshewasreadytocometohim。Herfacehadtoldhimso。Notthatheexaggeratedherfeelingforhim。Shehadhadhergrandpassion，andhecouldnotexpectanotherfromherathisage。Butshehadtrustinhim，affectionforhim，andmustfeelthathewouldbearefuge。Surelyshewouldnotaskhimtodefendthesuit，knowingthatheadoredher！ThankHeavenshehadnotthatmaddeningBritishconscientiousnesswhichrefusedhappinessforthesakeofrefusing！Shemustrejoiceatthischanceofbeingfreeafterseventeenyearsofdeathinlife！Astopublicity，thefatwasinthefire！Todefendthesuitwouldnottakeawaytheslur。JolyonhadalltheproperfeelingofaForsytewhoseprivacyisthreatened：IfhewastobehungbytheLaw，byallmeansletitbeforasheep！Moreoverthenotionofstandinginawitnessboxandswearingtothetruththatnogesture，notevenawordoflovehadpassedbetweenthemseemedtohimmoredegradingthantotakethetacitstigmaofbeinganadulterer——moretrulydegrading，consideringthefeelinginhisheart，andjustasbadandpainfulforhischildren。Thethoughtofexplainingaway，ifhecould，beforeajudgeandtwelveaverageEnglishmen，theirmeetingsinParis，andthewalksinRichmondPark，horrifiedhim。
　　Thebrutalityandhypocriticalcensoriousnessofthewholeprocess；
　　theprobabilitythattheywouldnotbebelieved——themerevisionofher，whomhelookedonastheembodimentofNatureandofBeauty，standingtherebeforeallthosesuspicious，gloatingeyeswashideoustohim。No，no！TodefendasuitonlymadeaLondonholiday，andsoldthenewspapers。AthousandtimesbetteracceptwhatSoamesandthegodshadsent！
　　’Besides，’hethoughthonestly，’whoknowswhether，evenformyboy’ssake，Icouldhavestoodthisstateofthingsmuchlonger?
　　Anyway，herneckwillbeoutofchanceryatlast！’Thusabsorbed，hewashardlyconsciousoftheheavyheat。Theskyhadbecomeovercast，purplishwithlittlestreaksofwhite。Aheavyheat-dropplashedalittlestarpatterninthedustoftheroadasheenteredthePark。’Phew！’hethought，’thunder！Ihopeshe’snotcometomeetme；there’saduckingupthere！’ButatthatveryminutehesawIrenecomingtowardstheGate。’WemustscuttlebacktoRobinHill，’hethought。
　　ThestormhadpassedoverthePoultryatfouro’clock，bringingwelcomedistractiontotheclerksineveryoffice。Soameswasdrinkingacupofteawhenanotewasbroughtintohim：”DEARSIR，Forsytev。ForsyteandForsyte”Inaccordancewithyourinstructions，webegtoinformyouthatwepersonallyservedtherespondentandco-respondentinthissuitto-day，atRichmond，andRobinHill，respectively。”Faithfullyyours，”LINKMANANDLAVER。”
　　ForsomeminutesSoamesstaredatthatnote。Eversincehehadgiventhoseinstructionshehadbeentemptedtoannulthem。Itwassoscandalous，suchageneraldisgrace！Theevidence，too，whathehadheardofit，hadneverseemedtohimconclusive；somehow，hebelievedlessandlessthatthosetwohadgonealllengths。Butthis，ofcourse，woulddrivethemtoit；andhesufferedfromthethought。Thatfellowtohaveherlove，wherehehadfailed！Wasittoolate?Nowthattheyhadbeenbroughtupsharpbyserviceofthispetition，hadhenotaleverwithwhichhecouldforcethemapart?’ButifIdon’tactatonce，’hethought，’itwillbetoolate，nowthey’vehadthisthing。I’llgoandseehim；I’llgodown！’
　　And，sickwithnervousanxiety，hesentoutforoneofthe’new-fangled’motor-cabs。Itmighttakealongtimetorunthatfellowtoground，andGoodnessknewwhatdecisiontheymightcometoaftersuchashock！’IfIwereatheatricalass，’hethought，’IsupposeIshouldbetakingahorse-whiporapistolorsomething！’Hetookinsteadabundleofpapersinthecaseof’MagentieversusWake，’intendingtoreadthemonthewaydown。Hedidnotevenopenthem，butsatquitestill，joltedandjarred，unconsciousofthedraughtdownthebackofhisneck，orthesmellofpetrol。Hemustbeguidedbythefellow’sattitude；thegreatthingwastokeephishead！
　　LondonhadalreadybeguntodisgorgeitsworkersashenearedPutneyBridge；theant-heapwasonthemoveoutwards。Whatalotofants，allwithalivingtoget，holdingonbytheireyelidsinthegreatscramble！PerhapsforthefirsttimeinhislifeSoamesthought：’IcouldletgoifIliked！Nothingcouldtouchme；I
　　couldsnapmyfingers，liveasIwished——enjoymyself！’No！Onecouldnotliveashehadandjustdropitall——settledowninCapua，tospendthemoneyandreputationhehadmade。Aman’slifewaswhathepossessedandsoughttopossess。Onlyfoolsthoughtotherwise——fools，andsocialists，andlibertines！
　　Thecabwaspassingvillasnow，goingagreatpace。’Fifteenmilesanhour，Ishouldthink！’hemused；’this’lltakepeopleoutoftowntolive！’andhethoughtofitsbearingontheportionsofLondonownedbyhisfather——hehimselfhadnevertakentothatformofinvestment，thegamblerinhimhavingalltheoutletneededinhispictures。Andthecabspedon，downthehillpastWimbledonCommon。Thisinterview！Surelyamanoffifty-twowithgrown-upchildren，andhungontheline，wouldnotbereckless。’Hewon’twanttodisgracethefamily，’hethought；’hewasasfondofhisfatherasIamofmine，andtheywerebrothers。Thatwomanbringsdestruction——whatisitinher?I’veneverknown。’Thecabbranchedoff，alongthesideofawood，andheheardalatecuckoocalling，almostthefirsthehadheardthatyear。Hewasnowalmostoppositethesitehehadoriginallychosenforhishouse，andwhichhadbeensounceremoniouslyrejectedbyBosinneyinfavourofhisownchoice。Hebeganpassinghishandkerchiefoverhisfaceandhands，takingdeepbreathstogivehimsteadiness。
　　’Keepone’shead，’hethought，’keepone’shead！’
　　Thecabturnedinatthedrivewhichmighthavebeenhisown，andthesoundofmusicmethim。Hehadforgottenthefellow’sdaughters。”Imaybeoutagaindirectly，”hesaidtothedriver，”orImaybekeptsometime”；andherangthebell。
　　Followingthemaidthroughthecurtainsintotheinnerhall，hefeltrelievedthattheimpactofthismeetingwouldbebrokenbyJuneorHolly，whicheverwasplayinginthere，sothatwithcompletesurprisehesawIreneatthepiano，andJolyonsittinginanarmchairlistening。Theybothstoodup。BloodsurgedintoSoames’brain，andallhisresolutiontobeguidedbythisorthatlefthimutterly。Thelookof’hisfarmerforbears——doggedForsytesdownbythesea，from’SuperiorDosset’back-grinnedoutofhisface。”Verypretty！”hesaid。
　　Heheardthefellowmurmur：”Thisishardlytheplace——we’llgotothestudy，ifyoudon’tmind。”Andtheybothpassedhimthroughthecurtainopening。Inthelittleroomtowhichhefollowedthem，Irenestoodbytheopenwindow，andthe’fellow’closetoherbyabigchair。Soamespulledthedoortobehindhimwithaslam；thesoundcarriedhimbackallthoseyearstothedaywhenhehadshutoutJolyon——shuthimoutformeddlingwithhisaffairs。”Well，”hesaid，”whathaveyoutosayforyourselves?”
　　Thefellowhadtheeffronterytosmile。”Whatwehavereceivedto-dayhastakenawayyourrighttoask。I
　　shouldimagineyouwillbegladtohaveyourneckoutofchancery。””Oh！”saidSoames；”youthinkso！IcametotellyouthatI’lldivorceherwitheverycircumstanceofdisgracetoyouboth，unlessyousweartokeepclearofeachotherfromnowon。”
　　Hewasastonishedathisfluency，becausehismindwasstammeringandhishandstwitching。Neitherofthemanswered；buttheirfacesseemedtohimasifcontemptuous。”Well，”hesaid；”you——Irene?”
　　Herlipsmoved，butJolyonlaidhishandonherarm。”Letheralone！”saidSoamesfuriously。”Irene，willyouswearit?””No。””Oh！andyou?””Stillless。””Sothenyou’reguilty，areyou?”