"Well, I went to Cork street to see Wilfrid Desert, but I didn't go in." "Why not?" "Because I was sorry for him?" "Or for myself?" "why don't you look...?" "I'm so sorry." "Oh, it's you." "Well, yes, it's me, but I... you're the young man who married Fleur Forsyte." "I'm her cousin, June." "Oh, of course." "I'm sorry." "How do you do?" "I'm well." "Have you been to see the new show at my gallery next door?" "No, not yet." "That's right, fleur says you're launching a vertiginist." "Claude Rains." "Quite extraordinary." "But you don't launch his kind, you know." "They're self-igniting." "Like a firework?" "Wrong comparison." "Nothing ephemeral about claude Rains' work." "Make a point of seeing it." "He's only 24." "I don't know another living painter of his generation with anything approaching the same authority and power." "Violence marvelously controlled." "How's Fleur?" "She's well, thanks." "I saw her this afternoon." "Did you?" "Where?" "Not to speak to." "Otherwise, I wouldn't have asked." "Half a dozen, please." "There's a house across the square from my gallery." "I saw her go into it as I was coming out." "I suppose you have friends there." "You know, as a matter of fact, I thought I spotted her leaving it last week, but I wasn't sure." "Thank you." "She's quite a charmer." "I wouldn't mind meeting her again." "You must come round." "I will one day." "My time seems to be so taken with the gallery, I neglect my friends." "Are you happy together?" "What?" "I hope you are." "She ought to have married my little brother, you know, but I hope you're happy." "Thank you." "She's a pretty child." "Your little brother?" "Hm?" "I said, your little brother?" "Jon." "Oh, he was far too young, of course, and so was she, but they were head over heels." "The family feud put a stop to that." "Well, that's all passed and gone, and I hope you're happy." "Don't forget the claude Rains show." "He's a gens." "I'll try to look in." "Goodbye, young man." "You're not a beauty, but I like your face." "Remember me to that child." "Well, Ting?" "As one heathen chinese to another, what do you think?" "Hello, Michael." "You're late." "I've had Aubrey Greene round here about a model you sent him." "He wants to borrow ting." "Oh, and father's here for the night." "He bought us this." "Isn't it perfect?" "Is there anything the matter, Michael?" "No, nothing." "Some monkey!" "By the way, Fleur, have you any spare clothes you could give away?" "For the wife of a chap I know." "Yes, yes, of course I have." "Put them out tonight, would you, darling?" "And I'll send him some of mine." "Oh, come on." "What is it, hm?" "Nothing." "I suppose you know somehow that I went to see wilfrid today." "Why not?" "Well, it was only to tell him i couldn't see him again." "You must do as you like, you know, Fleur." "That's only fair." "You are rather an angel." "Oh, I'm just going to change." "Cocktail, sir?" "Oh, no, thank you." "Oh, perhaps a little sherry." "Right." "I'm not going to get rid of my Goya." "Consider it Fleur'S." "She'll be thrilled, sir." "In fact, if I knew you were interested in the future, I'd make more provision." "In my opinion, death duties will be prohibitive in a few years' time." "I'd like you to know once and for all, sir, that what you do for fleur, you do for Fleur." "I can be epicurus any time I like." "Bread, and on feast days, a little bit of cheese." "Yes, I know that." "This land depression must be hitting your father pretty hard,I should think." "Well, he talks about being on the lookout for soap and cars, but I shouldn't be surprised if he mortgages again and lingers on." "Yes, title without a place isn't natural." "You'd better wait for me to go, if I leave anything, that is." "Michael, listen to me." "I've been thinking." "Aren't you happy together, you two, that you don't have children?" "Well, I don't..." "I don't think we've ever had a scrap or anything like it." "I've been..." "I am very fond of her, but you know better than I do, sir, that I only picked up the pieces." "Who told you that?" "Miss June Forsyte." "That woman... she can't keep her nose out of anything." "It was a boy-and-girl affair, over months before you married." "But deep, sir." "Deep?" "Who can tell at that age?" "Deep... you're a good fellow." "Now, be patient." "Take the long view." "Yes, sir, if I can." "She's everything to me." "And to me, sir, which doesn't make it easier." "Perhaps not, but hold on, as gently as you like, but hold on." "Oh, she's young." "She'll flutter about a bit, but there's nothing in it." "I've got my own problems but that's nothing to what" "I should feel if anything went wrong with her." "I'll do my best, sir, but I'm not exactly Solomon." "I'm not so sure." "Anyway, a baby would be a sort of...a sort of insurance." "No." "Well, as to that, I can't say anything." "No." "Well, of course not." "That's a pretty fair sherry." "Thanks." "This prohibition business over in the states, you know they're going to run into trouble with that precious amendment of theirs, I shouldn't wonder." "Oh, a headstrong lot, running their heads against a brick wall." "Idealism?" "No." "I've never drunk anything to speak of, but, well, I like to feel I could." "And the americans are telling people that they mustn't." "Yes, and that's tyranny." "It wouldn't surprise me if they all took to drink over there." "Oh, you'll look a fair treat in that." "Oh, Tony, look at this dress." "How could anybody spare it?" "What price is this, huh?" "Not too big, is it?" "I'll shorten the sleeves for you, love." "Oh, look here, a great fig coat." "I've got one too." "It's got "bond street" written all over it." "Gardenia!" "Oh, Tony, it's like 10 christmases in one!" "Solid leather shoes...nice warm pants... now... oh, saucy!" "You'll look a fair treat in that." "Oh, Tony, it is good of mr." "Mont, and mrs." "Mont." "Yeah, well, I told you." "He's a gent." "He must think an awful lot of you, giving you that lovely lunch yesterday, and now all this." "Yeah, well... it's like a trousseau for the two of us, for Australia." "All we need now is the fare." "Well, I'll be off now, love." "Oh, we'll get it, Tony." "We'll get it." "We're going to be lucky." "Hallucination, my dear Forsyte." "I've known Elderson all my life." "We were at Winchester together." "Yes, you told me, but the point is if Butterfield's story is true, we're in the hands of a thief." "If?" "It's a remarkably big if." "You have nothing else to go on?" "No, not yet." "But the P.P.R.S is in a hole as a direct result of Elderson's policy." "He wasn't as far-seeing as you, Forsyte." "Then, none of us were." "A wrong policy doesn't make him a criminal." "Yes, but the fact remains that the mark is now valueless and it's going to cost the society a quarter of a million pounds, and if elderson has been taking... has been taking bribes, and if we conceal it," "we'll all finish up in the dock." "The devil we could... yes, as accessories." "And another point." "Now, Elderson strikes me as being an exceptionally shrewd and clever man." "Now, I find it hard to understand that he couldn't see what was coming as clearly as I did." "Call him a fool, which he clearly is not, and what are we left with?" "Elderson the villain." "That's going a bit far, Forsyte." "Is it?" "You are saying, are you not, that our shrewd and clever manager might well have foreseen the danger as you did, but still deliberately pursued a disastrous policy out of self-interest." "I am saying that if there is a word of truth in Butterfield's story, that is the only possible interpretation that could be put upon it." "And you propose that we tackle him?" "Exactly." "See what he has to say about it." "You wouldn't like a story like that going around about yourself, would you?" "You're right." "Well, we'll have to keep our heads." "He'll deny it, of course." "Well, I should hope so, forsyte, I should hope so." "Elderson's a gentleman." "There's no liar like a gentleman." "Oh, the geography's correct." "Geography?" "The lobby between this room and Elderson's office is where Butterfield says he was standing." "Ah, yes, yes." "Good morning, gentlemen." "I hear you want to see me." "Yes." "Is that door shut?" "Yes." "Why?" "Are you in a draught?" "Would you like a fire?" "No, thank you." "The fact is, Elderson, that a young man in this office came to me yesterday with a very queer story." "Mont and i think you should hear it." "Well, by all means." "Who was this young man?" "Butterfield." "Indeed?" "Now, he says that in passing between this room and his office, he overheard a conversation between you and a mr." "Smith, the agent for our german business." "Oh, yes, I know mr." "Smith." "Born schmidt, you know, naturalized before the war." "Do go on, mr." "Forsyte." "Well, the relevant words that he said he overheard were these: "Quite so, mr." "Elderson," ""but we haven't paid you a commission on all this business for nothing."" "Interesting." "Anything else...relevant?" "I don't know about that, but Butterfield alleges that... oh, I like that word..." ""alleges"." "Oh, do go on, mr." "Forsyte." "Butterfield alleges that Smith then said, "if the mark goes absolutely phut," ""you'll have to see that your society makes it good for us."" "Excuse me." "Elderson here." "Would you tell Butterfield to come to the boardroom, please, at once?" "Thank you." "You had to be told, Elderson." "Well, naturally." "Come in." "Over here, Butterfield." "I understand that you have been exercising your imagination in my regard." "No, sir." "You stick to this fantastic story of the eavesdropping?" "Yes, sir." "Well, in that case, we have no further use for your services." "Good morning." "He'll never get another job again." "Well, thank you, gentlemen, for bringing this matter to my attention." "I must say, I have had my eye on that young man for quite some time." "A bad hat all around, I'm afraid." "What do you make out that he had to gain by it?" "Oh, foresaw dismissal, thought he'd get in first." "I see." "I've been thinking over what you said, mr." "Forsyte." "Oh?" "In what respect?" "When you called here yesterday about an action lying against the board for negligence... there's nothing you need to know." "Oh, no." "Our policy has been fully disclosed to the shareholders at two general meetings, and passed without comment." "The shareholders are just as responsible as the board." "Hm." "Yes." "Well... this has been very distasteful." "You must forgive us, Elderson, but as I say, you had to be told." "You know, I don't think that young man can be quite all there." "Something peculiar about him." "And we cannot have this sort of thing." "Well, I should hope not." "Well, good morning, gentlemen, and once again, thank you." "Well, that's that." "Oughtn't we to look into this young man?" "Yes." "Oh, but... leave him to me." "I'm glad to, Forsyte." "Glad to." "Another tot?" "Thanks, ever so." "You know, miss Manuelli, it won't be half the ordeal you imagine." "You wouldn't mind if I were your doctor." "I can't think of you like a doctor." "Well, I'm not one, of course." "His job is to diagnose ailments, mine, to recognize what is beautiful and express it in terms of painting." "But my attitude to the naked body, believe me, is just as detached as his." "You're having a companion this afternoon." "A what?" "A companion." "Since it's your first try, I thought a bit of distraction might help." "Ah, Fleur." "Hello." "Traffic was absolutely... come on in." "I hope we're not late." "On the dot." "Miss Manuelli, this is mrs." "Michael Mont." "How do you do, miss Manuelli?" "This is your companion." "Mrs. Mont's lending him to us for the afternoon." "Isn't he sweet?" "May I?" "Yes, of course." "Be friends." "That's the whole idea." "Well, if he doesn't bite a person at once, it means he likes them." "You're a love." "What's he called?" "Ting-a-ling." "Let me get you a drink, Fleur." "Oh, no, thanks, Aubrey.I must fly." "I'm going to meet Alison." "Now, ting, be good, and as amusing as you can." "Goodbye, miss Manuelli." "Goodbye, mrs." "Mont." "No, no, I'll see myself out." "You get on with it." "I'll collect ting at 6:00." "Bless you, Fleur." "Goodbye." "Right." "Put him down." "He can have a sniff around the studio while I show you the ropes." "Now, you'll get undressed behind that screen." "Then you just come onto the dais and take your position." "This is what I want." "You're laughing." "Why, I'm sorry.I didn't mean to." "But it's splendid." "You have a sense of the absurd." "So have I." "Well, go along, then." "We said 15 bob a day, didn't we?" "Don't worry, miss Manuelli." "My sense of the absurd doesn't include you, and I shan't be looking when you come down." "Just take your position, and when you're ready, give the cowbell a tinkle." "Ting?" "Where are you?" "Ah, there you are." "Five bob an hour." "Shut up, ting." "Don't worry, miss Manuelli, it's only because he's got a bone." "I've tied him so that he can't reach the cowbell." "Ready when you are." "Perfect, miss Manuelli." "Hold that position." "Uh, just point those left toes a shade more." "That's it." "Well, goodbye, mrs." "Dartie." "I'm obliged to you for the tea." "Not at all, mr." "Gradman." "It's always good to see you." "Goodbye." "Goodbye, gradman." "And..." "I'll look in at the office tomorrow and discuss this." "At other matter... as I said, mr." "Soames, one man's word against another's." "It's a tricky business." "But that young fellow..." "if there's anything I can do... yes, thank you." "Well, I have an idea about that." "Oh, thank you." "Oh, I don't know." "You can't trust anyone these days." "It comes of all this, um... oh, well, I don't know what it comes of." "What makes you mistrust mr." "Elderson?" "There's nothing." "It's a feeling, no more." "That's not enough." "It's too dangerous." "You've a good instinct, Soames." "You always had, but you're so wise and cautious, you wouldn't talk of feelings if something hadn't happened to start a doubt in your mind." "Well, if you put it like that, yes, there was something." "Oh, not so much the dismissal of Butterfield, though that was performed with savage expedition." "I think even mont was surprised." "There was something he said afterwards, a comment about Butterfield never getting another job." "He said it with a sort of venom." "A sort of venomous satisfaction." "It was quite unnecessary." "Most unpleasant." "The circumstances didn't demand it." "Well, if he was innocent, he surely had a right to be angry." "Certainly, and if he was guilty, he'd have to simulate anger." "But this was more than anger." "And when I asked h what he thought Butterfield had to gain by it, he said that Butterfield was a bad hat who foresaw dismissal and wanted to get in first." "Out of spite?" "Presumably." "Well, he's a bad hat?" "That's not my impression." "And Elderson didn't see fit to enlarge on his statement." "He said nothing to justify his assessment of Butterfield's character." "You know, I find that remarkable." "Yes, so do I." "Soames, if your feelings are right, if mrs." "Elderson is guilty... we've no proof." "And unlikely to get any... well, what about mr." "Butterfield?" "Oh, he came to see me afterwards, poor fellow." "He was most distressed." "Well, naturally." "He has a wife and two children." "Oh, poor young man." "But that's dreadful if he was only doing his duty." "Quite." "Against his own interest." "I've spoken to Michael." "Can he help?" "There might be something for him at Danby and Winter." "That's what I'd like, a job where we can keep an eye on him." "If he's a bad hat, it'll soon show." "Cigarette?" "No, thanks, sir." "Now, then." "I know about all the turmoil." "Between ourselves, Butterfield, is your story okay?" "God's truth, sir." "I only wish i'd held my tongue." "That was my first job since the war, so I can whistle for a reference." "Hmm." "Wife and two children, I believe?" "Yes." "I've put them in the cart for the sake of me conscience." "The last time I'll do that." "What did it matter to me whether the society was cheated or not?" "My wife was quite right." "I was a fool." "Well, probably." "In any case, you're now looking for work?" "Yes, sir." "Do you know anything about books?" "Oh, yes, sir." "I'm a good bookkeeper." "Oh, holy moses." "Our job is getting rid of them." "We're publishers." "We were thinking of putting on an extra traveler." "Is your tongue persuasive?" "Well, I don't know, sir." "Well, look here." "It's not too difficult." "You have to learn the pattern, of course, but once you've got the hang of it, it's..." "Do you read much?" "Not much, sir." "Well, that's probably a good thing." "You see, Butterfield, what you have to do is impress on the poor brutes who sell books that every one of the books on your list, say about 35, is necessary in large numbers to their business." "It's a good thing you've just chucked your conscience, because most of them won't be." "That's why i asked you if you had a persuasive tongue." "I see, sir." "Well, it's a gift." "You've either got it or you or haven't, and you'll soon find out." "I can't give you lessons in persuasion." "However, if you'd like to come for an hour tomorrow afternoon, uh, no... say wednesday," "I'll put you wise about our authors, and I'll get you an interview with mr." "Winter." "I think he'd be prepared to give you a month's trial." "Well, I'll try my best, sir." "Me wife knows about books." "She could help me a lot." "Right-o, Butterfield." "Shall we say 2:30?" "We'll have a session." "I don't know how to thank you enough for your kindness, sir." "Kindness?" "Oh, that's bilge, isn't it?" "If you can sell books, you'll do the firm a bit of good." "Of course, that'll do me a bit of good too." "So long, Butterfield." "Thank you very much, sir." "Oh, Ting, is there anything in the world worth doing?" "Hm?" "You don't care, do you?" "Just to exist, that's enough for you." "Oh..." "Now, Ting, what is it?" "Oh, Ting, don't be silly." "There's nobody's there." "Dreadful to stand there." "Ting, it isn't my fault." "I didn't want him to love me." "Michael?" "I took ting around to Aubrey's today." "That model was there." "You know, the one you sent him." "Some face." "Where did you find her, Michael?" "She blew in." "She's married to that chap Bicket we sent the clothes to." "Oh." "Oh, well, she didn't mention them." "Did you know Aubrey's going to paint her in the nude?" "No." "No, I didn't." "Shouldn't I stop that?" "Well, that's her lookout, and a great deal more money." "Yes, but... well, Bicket's a decent little snipe." "I don't want to be more sorry for him." "Well, she won't tell him, of course." "Fleur, there's something i want to ask you." "May I?" "Yes." "I know you didn't love me when you married me." "I don't think you love me now." "Do you want me to clear out?" "No." "Do you mean that?" "Yes." "Why?" "Well, because I don't." "One more thing." "Will you answer me quite truthfully?" "Yes." "Was Wilfrid here this evening?" "Yes." "Well, no... don't, Fleur." "But I'm not, Michael." "I saw him crossing the square." "He didn't stop." "Well, he did come to the window." "I saw his face, just his face." "That's all, Michael." "Staring in." "Michael, don't be unkind to me." "Not tonight." "Unkind?" "It's all right, Fleur, so long as you tell me what it is you want." "Well, I..." "I don't know, michael." "But one thing's true, anyway." "I don't want wilfrid." "I never did." "Poor wilfrid." "It was horrible to see him standing there, alone in the dark." "Don't you think... well, now that he knows it's all over, perhaps i should go and look for him?" "I mean, he might do something." "Well, yes, Michael, I think perhaps you should." "Oh, by the way, this is my second no-go, michael." "I suppose it means..." "Fleur?" "The night with the balloon." "Do you mind?" "Mind?" "Good god, mind?" "Well, that's all right, then." "I don't." "Light?" "Thanks." "They told me at your rooms I'd find you here." "I'm glad I caught you." "Where are you going, wilfrid?" "Jericho, I should think." "I'm so damned sorry about all this." "Cut it out." "Yes." "Yes, I know... but..." "Michael... these wretched things... publish them if you like." "Well, thanks." "That's great." "Goodbye." "So long." "Well?" "I think it's gorgeous, Aubrey, and terribly like her." "So far as one can tell." "Never mind that." "How do you find the color values?" "No, it's jolly fine, Aubrey, especially the flesh tones." "It's such a relief not to see legs painted in streaky cubes." "The toes too." "They curl when you look at them." "The whole thing's a bit rousseau/ledouanier-ish." "Well, you'll have to change that." "The critics will drive themselves into a fine frenzy." "Why do you say that, Michael?" "Well, the thing's got meaning." "That was the worst of her." "She led me on." "It's fatal to get an idea." "what did you call it, Aubrey?" "Your anemic phase." "Oh, she has!" "Where is she now?" "Busy girl, miss Manuelli." "I still use her, but i've given her introductions." "A lot of my friends give her work." "Well, I'm glad she's making money, but I don't know what Bicket would say." "Bicket?" "Her husband." "Oh." "An angry young husband called Bicket said, "turn yourself round and I'll kick it" ""you have painted my wife in the nude to the life do you think, mr." "Greene, it was cricket?"" "Aubrey, really." "Where are you going to show it?" "Dumetrius." "He gets it tomorrow for the summer show." "Cocktail?" "No, thanks, Aubrey, not for me." "The 11th baronet doesn't approve of strong waters." "Oh, of course." "How does it go, fleur?" "Tedious, but so far, no trouble." "Well, only two months to go now." "Then we shall celebrate." "Michael?" "Thanks." "Poor Bicket." "Suppose I came up on you like that, darling." "Why should he mind?" "We're all emancipated these days." "Good lord, duckie." "You don't think Bicket is?" "42 million people in this country." "I don't suppose 5000 are what you call emancipated." "Ask the man in the street our lot think they're the whole world, but I don't know." "Michael, I've been thinking." "I'd like to change the bedroom curtains to blue, and the carpets." "Well, go ahead, but why?" "They say that blue has some effect on the mind." "You know, steadying, good for the child." "What price emancipation now?" "Fetch over those chips for me, Tony, and I'll pop them in the oven." "Cripes!" "Vic, look here." "What is it?" "Look." "It's your spitting image." "Like me?" "No." "Not half." "Like you all over, that is." "Here, I'd like to see that picture." "It isn't decent." "It's even got your smile." "Funny to think there's people in the world so much like each other." "Never thought there was another like you." "Mind the paper." "I'll cut that out." "Yeah." "Will you start laying the table and cutting the bread and butter?" "All right, love." "Well, sir, as you know, I've been working the private list." "Calls in the evening at home, and that." "Have you run into trouble?" "No." "But the point is that yesterday i got to the E's, working alphabetically... mr." "Elderson." "Well, you can forget all about him." "No, sir." "I saw him last evening." "Good for you." "What happened?" "Did he kick you out?" "Far from it." "He said at once, "put my name down for two copies."" "Well, you both had a nerve." "No." "Mr. Elderson didn't like it a bit." "I don't understand you, Butterfield." "You mean to say Elderson pretended not to recognize you?" "I thought it all out before I went in, sir." "I began as though I'd never met him before, and that was what struck me." "He took his cue from me." "But when you say he didn't like it a bit, I don't quite twig." "My being in your firm's employ, sir." "He knows you're sir Lawrence's son, and mr." "Forsyte's son-in-law, doesn't he?" "Yes, he does." "Well, don't you see the connection, sir?" "Two directors believing me and not him." "That's what struck me." "I fancied it would shake him up, and it did." "He's got the wind up, all right." "Well, thank you, Butterfield." "Not at all, sir." "Thank you." "Well, isn't this evidence?" "I mean, if Elderson were innocent, wouldn't he kick him out and damn his impudence?" "I should." "How has Butterfield been doing?" "Amazing." "He got through his month's trial with flying colors, and there's been no stopping him since." "He works like a beaver." "He's full of ideas." "No sign yet of the bad hat?" "No, far from it." "Oh, you realize, of course, do you, that the book that Elderson bought is by sir Lawrence Mont?" "What?" "My venerable father suddenly burst into print." "It's called duet." "Oh, about music?" "Not exactly." "It's a sort of argument between the ghosts of Gladstone and Disraeli." "Good lord." "Yes, I know it's not everybody's cup, but Butterfield seems to be selling them." "Hm, F." "You're next on the list." "Here it is." "One guinea." "Oh, I'm not a reader." "I'll give him the commission, sir." "Why couldn't you make it a pound?" "Here's a shilling." "Thanks awfully, sir." "My father'll be frightfully bucked." "He'll be frightfully bucked, will he?" "Yes." "Well, don't you do any work around here?" "Well, we try to turn a doubtful penny." "You know, I had thought of letting sleeping dogs lie, but now I'm not so sure." "I'll go and see Elderson." "Something may come up." "Give my love to Fleur." "Will you see miss Manuelli?" "Miss manu...?" "Oh, yes, miss Perren, I will." "I thought you migh never mind the snappy ripostes, miss Perren." "Just wheel her in." "Very good, mr." "Mont." "Thank you." "Hello, mrs." "Bicket." "How's Bicket?" "Fairly, sir, thank you." "Still in balloons?" "Well, come and sit down." "Tell me what can I do for you." "Do you remember, sir, giving me a note for mr." "Greene?" "Yes, I do." "Andthe resus." "Bicket." "It's topping." "Yes, but it's got into the papers." "Tony's seen it." "Oh." "Oh, I see." "Of course, he doesn't know what I've been doing, but he did say, "isn't it like you?"" "What if he remembers the name of the gallery and goes there?" "The painting's much more like me, and he might go on to mr." "Greene." "So what I was wondering, sir, is would you mind begging mr." "Greene to say it was someone else in case Tony did go?" "Not a bit." "But do you think Bicket would mind so very much, considering what it's done for you both?" "I mean, it can be quite a respectable profession." "Yes, I have been quite respectable." "I only did it because we do so both want to get away." "I couldn't bear seeing him standing in the rain selling balloons." "But I'm ever so scared now, sir." "My god, money's an evil thing." "The want of it is, I know." "How much money have you saved, mrs." "Bicket?" "A lot. 54 pounds." "How much more do you need for australia?" "Only another 10 but I can have them." "I'll let you have that." "Oh, no, it's not that." "I've got used to it." "A few more days won't matter." "But how are you going to account for having the money?" "Say I won it...betting." "Well, it's a bit thin." "Look here, say you came to me, and I advanced it." "If Bicket repays it from Australia," "I can always put it to your credit again at a bank out there." "Well, look, mrs." "Bicket, I got you into the hole, in a way, and I'd like to get you out of it again." "Oh, no, sir." "You did me a service." "I don't want to have to put you out telling lies for me." "It won't worry me a bit, mrs." "Bicket." "I can lie to the umpteenth when there's no harm in it." "The great thing is for you is to get away sharp." "Are there many other pictures of you?" "Yes, lots." "Not that you'd recognize me, I think." "They're square and funny." "Well, Aubrey Green has got you to the life." "Yes, it's like me all over, Tony says." "Quite." "Well, I'll talk to Aubrey." "I'll be seeing him at lunch." "'S the money." "That's settled, then." "Say you had a brainwave and came to see me today." "And look, mrs." "Bicket, I quite understand." "You'd do a lot for him, and he'd do a lot for you." "It's all right." "Don't cry." "I'd tell him tonight if I were you." "Go on." "Goodbye, mrs." "Bicket... and good luck." "Poor little snipe." "I hope he doesn't think I got value for my money." "Ooh!" "Those letters, mr." "Mont, to sir james foggart and mr." "Masters." "At once, miss Perren." "What do you think of my discovery?" "It's an interesting face." "Mm." "Unique, I'm afraid." "I shouldn't think she'd mind that." "No?" "Well, that depends, miss Perren." "That depends." "Contemplating the future, mr." "Forsyte?" "No." "I'm very glad you've come." "It gives me a chance to say how grateful I am for the interest you've shown in all the activities of the society." "Oh, it's rare." "You know, a manager has a lonely job." "Oh, yes, I dare say." "I could wish that all the directors were as conscientious as you." "You know, the amount of help i had from the board before you came along was negligible." "Cigar?" "No, thank you." "I can tell you something i couldn't tell any of the others." "I'm not at all happy about business, mr." "Forsyte." "England is about to discover the state that she's really in." "No use crying out before we're hurt." "The pound's still high." "We're good stayers." "In the soup, I'm afraid... and likely to stay there unless something drastic is done." "Anything drastic, as you very well know, means lean years before we reap any reward." "Speaking of lean years, I came in to say that I think we ought to call a meeting of the shareholders over the dead loss of this german business." "I've been expecting that from you." "Have you, indeed?" "By all means, call a meeting, but the board won't like it, nor will the shareholders." "Like it or not, I shall propose it at the next board." "Why, I'm quite sure you will." "You have a very strong sense of duty." "I admire that." "I'm obliged." "Not at all." "Nothing like bringing things into the open, is there?" "By the way, mont has written a book." "I've taken a copy." "I've taken two." "Poor, dear Mont." "Gladstone and Disraeli indeed." "Who cares?" "And as for the shareholders... yes?" "I have found from a long experience that they will accept almost anything provided nobody rubs their noses in it." "Yes." "Well, you may be right, but that's what's wrong with this country." "We won't face up to things." "I think in the time to come, mr." "Forsyte, you won't be able to say that I don't face up to things." "Goodbye." "I'm so grateful to you." "Picture galleries." "Picture... ah, now, let's see." "That's a funny sort of a name." "Began with A..." "was it a b?" "Or was it a d?" "Oh, here we are." "Dumetrius." "That's it." "Hope street." "That's out west." "They'll charge you a sixpence, I expect." "Hope I see you well, sir." "What?" "Never forgot your kindness." "Kindness?" "What kindness?" "Oh, yes." "Those balloons." "They were no good to me." "No, sir." "I'm sure." "Here." "Don't expect it again." "Hey, thanks, guv'nor." "Thanks a lot." "Well, Winifred, what do you think?" "Well, I'm not quite sure, but, yes, I think it's very good." "It's such a relief from all those horrible cubes." "At least it's recognizably female." "What did soames think?" "Well, you know Soames." "He's very cautious." "He never says anything's any good till he's got the receipt for it in his pocket, and not always then." "But he grunted quite a bit, and that's always a good sign, don't you know?" "And he's gone to see Dumetrius." "Well, I think it's absurd." "I mean... what woman has a body like that?" "Speak for yourself, Hatty." "They do exist." "That's a real, breathing woman." "I wonder who the model is?" "Nobody I know, dear, but no better than she should be," "I'll be bound, lying like that." "I don't know." "Anyway, they call it sitting, don't they?" "I can't think why, because they're always either standing or falling about." "It's odd about nudes, isn't it?" "Artists are continually painting them, but one never seems to see one anywhere." "Men buy them and hide them away." "Well,I know one man who'd have liked this one, and that was my uncle swithin." "God rest his lecherous old soul." "It's a rising name, mr." "Forsyte." "His prices are going up." "That's all very fine, Dumetrius, but it's not everybody's money these days." "Too highly finished." "Well, mr." "Forsyte, to you, I take off 10 percent." "Take off 20, and I might buy it." "Mr. Forsyte, really." "Um...15, sir?" "You're doing me." "When does the exhibition close?" "Day after tomorrow." "Very well." "Send it round to my daughter." "Mrs. Mont, south square." "I'm sure you won't regret it." "Shall we go to my office?" "Rotten, filthy swine." "What...?" "What the hell's going on?" "You've blown up all my stock." "You can forget about your stock now, Tony." "No more standing about in the rain." "No more begging for coppers." "We're off to Australia." "We're what?" "Well, I've got it, the fare." "64 pounds." "For the two of us." "We can go." "64 pounds?" "Where did you get it, eh?" "I had a brainwave." "I went to see that mr." "Mont who gave us all those clothes." "He's lent it to us." "We can pay him back later on." "Oh, Tony, isn't it..." "Did you really see mr." "Mont?" "Of course I did." "I saw that miss Perren first, and then I went into his office." "Well, it wasn't as posh as I expected, but all those books around...of course I went." "Yeah, you went, all right." "What else did you do, eh?" "I don't know what you mean." "Well, I've been somewhere too." "I've seen that picture in the gallery." "I'll see mr." "Mont." "I'll get the truth out of him."