"The first day of autumn, the fall of the year, and in London, naturally,the first fog." "But in this, the greatest city in the world, life must go on." "And Forsytes have to see that it does." "Whatever the weather, they must attend to business, as indeed, other less prosperous folk must do." ""Poor devil", a Forsyte might say to himself, "looks as if he's having a bad time."" "But then follows the consoling thought , "it serves him right,"after all." "He should manage his affairs better."" "But what of a Forsyte with a guilty conscience?" "And there are some." "Is there room in his heart for shame and pity?" "Or is he rather proud of having asserted his rights at last and behaved like a man?" "Who can tell?" "But one thing's certain, whatever emotion may boil inside him, he will keep it as dark and secret as the grave." "Bilson, is your mistress up yet?" "I don't know, sir." "I took her up some breakfast, but when I knocked, she said to take it away." "Well, when you see her, tell her I've gone to the office." "The office, sir?" " Have you got to?" "It's terrible foggy out." "I'm aware of that." "Ah, mrs." "Forsyte, is everything satisfactory?" "Thank you, yes." "Do you know...was my note delivered?" "Oh, yes, madam." "Though it took the boy some time to reach Sloane square, the fog's very bad." "Did he bring back an answer?" "There was no reply to his knock, so he put the note through the letter box." "I see." "Thank you." "Irene." "I came as fast as I could." "What is it, what's happened?" " Why are you here?" "Because it's quiet and out of the way." "No one would look for me in a place like this." "Shouldn't we go and sit down?" " In here." "Now, tell me." "Poor love, you look so pale." "What's happened?" "I have left Soames." "Left him?" " For good?" "But that's wonderful." "It's what I've been begging you to do for weeks." "But why didn't you come straight to me?" "Because your studio is the first place he would look." "Don't I just wish he would." "No, that's not the reason." "What is it?" "The same as it has always been." "And you know what i think about that." "Nonsense." "No, Philip." "Irene, I..." "No, darling." "Now, listen to me, please." "You must know." "You do know that all I want in the whole world is to live with you and share everything in your life." "But you shall." "No." "Perhaps not for a long time." "I remember you telling me what uncle Jolyon once said to you." "Your career, even your livehood, depends upon you not offending people with money and influence." "Forsytes." "Yes." "Breaking with June is bad enough, though it's not scandalous." "But if you and I live openly together..." "Philip, they'll destroy you." "We can outlive this." "An architect is not like a painter or an author." "He can't work in a vacuum." "So you'd be deprived of your power to work at all." "And for an artist, this is the worst thing that can happen." "I can think of worse." "To be deprived of me?" "I love you for saying so, but you don't believe it." "You wouldn't be the man I love, the artist I admire so much, if you did believe it." "Then to hell with it." "To hell with them all." "We'll go abroad." "I'm a good draughtsman." "I'll find work enough." "How soon?" "And won't you loathe it?" "I'll rejoice in it, if we're together." "Philip, how much money have you got?" "Hm?" "Oh, I don't..." "no, I mean all together." "None at all, have you?" "Money is no object..." "And you've been selling things, your field glasses, the old prints your father left you." "Pawned." "They'll all be redeemed." "Yes, and this lawsuit tomorrow." "If Soames should win...?" "I'll go bankrupt." "He'll get nothing out of it." "Except his revenge." "Well, I hope he finds it sweet." "He will because through you he'll be striking at me." "They come away with me." "No." "I have exactly 23 pounds, laboriously saved." "But I have said, money is..." "No!" "No, I'll find lodgings tomorrow and then work." "Work?" "What work?" "You forget." "I'm a qualified music teacher." "Then teach in France or Italy, where they understand music." "Florence perhaps, or Naples, where the sun shines." "We can live nobly on six pence a day." "Or perhaps it ought to be France." "You speak french well, don't you?" "Yes." "And you have the conservatoire diploma." "Well, that'll help, won't it?" "And as for me, my darling, I'll work... oh, God, I'll work like twenty demons." "After all, what is it?" "Putting ideas down on paper so that bricklayers and masons can understand well, that's the same in any language." "And it's warm in the south, and the wind blows softly." "When the sun goes down, the stars come out." "Bang.Like fireworks." "And the people... you know, the people there, they think all artists are crazy children." "Well, they do here, but the difference... the difference is that they like crazy children." "And as for love, well, they think love is a happy thing, a blessing,not a crime." "And so my love, my dearest love, will you come with me?" "Philip, I asked you to meet me here because I thought if we weren't alone, you couldn't persuade me." "I know you would try,and I was afraid." "Afraid that if I came to you," "I would never be able to leave you again." "But you never shall." "I won't be a burden to you." "Oh." "I can't live without you." "I didn't believe i should ever cry again." "I thought after last night, I..." "Last night?" "Why?" " What happened last night?" "What was it?" "Soames?" " What did he do?" "I can't tell you." "But I must know." "By god, if he hurt you... something happened." "I knew there was something." "Why should you leave him suddenly, today, when yesterday you refused?" "Irene, my love, tell me." "Whatever it was, tell me about it." "Weeks ago, before we became lovers, Philip, I started to lock my door." "And when he realized I meant it, it seemed as if he accepted the situation." "But last night, when I came in, he followed me upstairs." "I tried to stop him, but he burst in." "He was out of his mind, savage," "like a mad beast." "Oh, I fought him." "Oh, god, philip, I fought him, but he was too strong for me." "And in the end, in the end," "he had his way." "Don't, Philip." "Don't look like that." "I'll kill him." "No." "No, my darling, no." "It's all over." "It's all over." "Oh, I shouldn't have told you, I didn't mean to." "I don't understand." "How could a man do that?" "Oh, Philip, my love, my love." "Well, anyway." "Whatever happens now ,you're to stay here, you're not to move out of here." "Do you understand?" "You are to wait for me." "Do not move one step." "I'll get some money somehow." "I'll be back as soon as I can, two or three house at the most." "And we'll leave at once." "Now, wait for me." "I'll wait." "Will your... your husband be coming back later?" "What?" "Oh, I beg your pardon." "Yes." "Yes." "Please, God." "He's coming back." "Here you are, cabbie." "Have a drink and keep the change." "Thank you." "Go on." "Hey!" "Hold hard, me beauty." "Good lord." "Bosinney." "Who are you?" "Come on now, you know me, George Forsyte." "Damn, and blast you to hell." "The wild buccaneer." "Drunk?" " No, I don't think so." "He's taken a knock." "I'm going after him." "In this?" "You're raving." "Why?" " So long, Monty." "See you later." "But it's sheer raving lunacy." "Aw." "Now, then." "Get some money." "Arkwright, Jermyn street." "Oh, god." "Rape." "Bloody rape." "Oh, god." "What's sort of man?" "Rape." "Rape his own wife." "Oh, God." "He's not fit to live." "Bosinney." "I say, look out!" "Bosinney!" "Philip?" "Yes, Forsyte, it's a very subtle point, a very fine point." "When is a free hand not a free hand, eh?" "It sounds like one of those riddles in a Christmas cracker, what?" "But what's the answer, eh?" " What's the answer?" "Well, what is the answer?" "Yes, well, we shan't know that until tomorrow, shall we?" "You will give your evidence." "Bosinney will give his." "I shall press my opinion." "Oh, firmly, I can assure you, and young... what's-his-name," "Chankery will press his for the other side." "And then in his infinite wisdom, mr." "Justice Bentham will deliver judgment." "But the nice point." "What is your opinion, sir Mervyn?" "Your son, being a lawyer, expressed himself precisely, as precisely as possible, in that final letter." "By adding the words, "in the terms of this correspondence", he ensured that the correspondence, the whole correspondence and nothing but the correspondence, should be the basis of decision." "No irrelevances, the quality of the work done by the architect, the amount of time and labor devoted by him, the adequacy or otherwise of his remuneration." "None of these matters can arise or will arise." "Or if they do arise,can they be admitted?" "My opinion is that the ruling in" "Boileau versus the Blasted Cement Company Limited will apply." "And in that case, as you will recall..." "Boileau got his verdict." "I'm obliged to you, sir Mervyn." "Emily, my dear, this is sir Mervyn Waterbuck." "Waterbuck, my wife." "How do you do?" " Dear lady." "I do think it was brave of you to venture out on such a day." "A pleasure." "Warmson, we're all quite ready for luncheon, I'm sure." "Is your business finished?" "If not, perhaps you could continue in the dining room." "I do hope you like saddle of mutton." "In my opinion, madam, saddle of mutton comes as a boon directly from the hands of providence." "Does it?" "Dear me." "You know, I never thought of it like that." "Tomorrow, then." "When you give your evidence, don't be too careful." "Be open, be direct." "A little bluffness, Forsyte, a little bluffness, what?" "Fellow's mountebank." "Yes, I know." "But I've seen him in court." "It works there." "Oh, I hope so." "I don't know, I can't tell." "Excuse me." "Yes, madam?" " Is there a message for me?" "I'm afraid not." "Nothing?" "Are you sure?" " I'm quite sure, madam." "Thank you." "Ah." "Ah, 26, very neat little break." "26, Willie." "And then?" "Then I lost him." "He rushed across under the nose of a cab-horse and vanished." "Ah, and who was she?" "Oh, some little love-lady or other." "Some ... oh, damn it, I thought you were going to say it was friend Soames' wife." "Then damn it, you were wrong, weren't you?" "Oh, tricky pot." "You know, I can't help feeling sorry for that poor devil." "What, the buccaneer?" "Why?" "The chap was demented." "Wandering about in the fog like that, with all that on his mind." "Anything might happen to him." "Oh, he's all right." "10 to one he was tight." "Oh, dry up." "What?" "Bilson, is your mistress upstairs?" " No, sir." "Where is she, then?" "She left about half-past ten, sir, with her large valise." "What's that?" "What message did she leave?" " None, sir." "No message?" "Well, very well, that will do." "Thank you, sir." "Philip?" "There you are, then." "Oh, isn't it lovely." "That nasty fog's quite gone." "But not for long, Smither, you mark my words." "Oh, but Cook says..." "now hurry downstairs." "There's a good girl." "I think we have visitors." "Lawks, ma'am, and there's me with me brooms all over the lobby." "I did not tell you to run, Smither." "You know mr." "Timothy does not like it." "Oh, no, ma'am." "I forgot." "I think somebody's let them in." "Miss Hester, probably." "So I thought, "well, if all the men in the family have gone to the law courts..."" "Juley, dear." "Emily and my Winifred." "Now, aunt Juley." "Monty." "Well, dear, how are you?" "Very well, dear, considering." "But poor skippy's little arrangements are not quite right." "The fog, you know." "And, Smither,will you take her, please?" "Fifteen minutes in the park, and do not let her talk to strangers." "Do sit down, everyone." "You'll stay to luncheon, won't you?" "How very kind." "Timothy may come down." "He stayed in his room yesterday, of course." "The fog, you know." "Monty, dear?" "No, thank you, aunt Hester." "But I'll push it off in a minute or two, if you don't mind." "Oh, must you?" "What a shame?" "Why?" " Well, I thought I'd drop in at the court." "Yes, he wants to be in at the death." "Don't you, Monty?" "Death, dear?" "Whose death?" "Oh, good gracious, not one of the family." "I was speaking metaphorically, aunt." "Oh, metaphorically." "For some reason or another, and I can't imagine why." "Monty's taken a great dislike to mr." "Bosinney." "So has James, you know." "And I can quite understand it." "Mr. Bosinney's behaved very badly over Soames' house, very badly." "Well, yes." "It's inexcusable, of course." "But Soames is perfectly capable of dealing with that." "There's no doubt, I suppose that Soames will win his case?" "Oh, no doubt at all." "Sir Mervyn assured me so himself." "Oh, sir Mervyn, oh, then that's all right." "But if he does, what will happen to mr." "Bosinney?" "They tell me he has nothing." "Nothing." "Nothing except charm and talent." "Well, they're not very respectable qualities, my dear." "Hardly enough if a young man has to make his own way." "Oh, I don't know." "Anyway, I think he has chic." "Winifred." "Really, well, all I can say is you wouldn't have thought so if you'd seen the fellow yesterday, tearing through the fog as if the devil were after him." "Anything less "chic" it'd be hard to imagine." "Well, I'm afraid I must be off." "Monty." "You can't just go and leave us all bursting with curiosity." "I'm sorry, mama." "Freddie will tell you all the shocking details." "Won't you, Freddie?" "Goodbye, everyone." "Well, Winifred?" "Winifred, do tell us." "What shocking details?" "None, I'm afraid, as far as I know." "But..." "Monty was joking." "Oh, dear... and I quite thought we were going to hear something definite at last." "Definite, Juley?" " About mr." "Bosinney and Irene." "Are they or aren't they?" "That's what I want to know." "Do you know?" "I think Jolyon's changed terribly this last year." "We haven't seen much of him, of course, but James seems very anxious." "What do you think, Hester?" "Yes, yes, I do think that he is aging tremendously." "Poor, dear Jolyon." "Something ought to be done about it." "Well, there you are, Jo." "You can cut your coat a bit longer in the future." "I thought you ought to know." "I haven't many more years at my age." "Well, father, I... that dog of yours is spoiling the garden." "I don't know what you want with a dog." "Oh, by the way, I've taken all my business out of your uncle's hands." "James is past it, and that young Soames, he's a man of property." "He won't miss the fee." "So if there's anything, go to Jack Herring." "I shall remember." "I wish I could find the words, father, I..." "I'd be grateful if you said nothing more about it." "Too many years gone wasted." "Wasted?" "Oh, I don't know." "Not for you, perhaps." "You've learned a great deal, I dare say." "And the children..." "By the way, Jo, there is something I'd like you to do for me..." "Hello, darling." "Good morning." "Good morning." "I'm just leaving." "How are you?" "Very well, thank you." "Jo, your father was about to ask you to do something." "Yes, father." "What is it?" "What can I do?" "Oh, it's this tomfool case, Soames and Bosinney." "I'm told it's coming up this afternoon." "So?" "Yes, well, what do you want me to do?" "I'd go there myself, but it wouldn't be the thing." "No." "No, hardly the thing." "Because on one side, there are Forsytes, all the family of the Forsytes." "And on the other, just poor mr." "Bosinney,the architect." "And you?" "For you it is difficult." "I see the difficulty." "You are a Forsyte, so you should support them against this impudent young man who builds houses and wastes their money." "Oh, Helene, please!" "On the other hand... the young man is engaged to June, so you should support him." "But then perhaps he is making June unhappy." "Perhaps he doesn't love her any more." "Helene, please be quiet." "No." "I shall say my say." "Why not?" "Why not, indeed?" " I am outside." "I have always been outside, so i can see you all quite clearly." "If you go to the trial, mr.Forsyte, you must take one side or the other, isn't that so?" "That is so." "But this you don't want to do, not outright, so that all can see." "Because you don't know yourself whose side you're on." "So now you ask Jo to do this for you." "Isn't that what you want?" "It is." "After nine years, nine years, when you don't care if Jo is dead or starving," "now you come and say, "please, Jo, do this for me, do that for me." "Because for me, Jolyon Forsyte, it is hardly the thing."" "When I got to the court, father, what did you want me to do?" "There's no need." "I don't want you to do anything." "Well, I'll be going anyway." "So, what shall I do?" " Very well." "If you will." "If Bosinney loses this case, but only, mark you, if he loses, ask him to come and see me." "No, don't ask him, tell him." "I'll try." "This could be a disastrous case for him, and I won't have the boy hounded, no matter what." "Now, is that clear?" " As clear as crystal." "Good." "I'll see out, father." "Good day." "Helene, do you know why he came to see me?" "To ask you to go to the trial." "No, no." "That was an afterthought." "A good afterthought." "He takes, but he gives nothing." "He asks for everything." "Would you really like me to tell you why he came?" "If you wish." "To say that he'd changed his will." "He said that coming here in these past few months, getting to know you and the children, talking to me, even though he didn't always agree with what I said," "he said he felt at home here." "So he's changed his will." "Without any conditions at all, he's settled on me 1000 pounds a year, now, at once." "At his death, June is to have 50,000 held in trust, and the rest comes to me." "Over 100,000 pounds." "You know what that means?" "No more pinching and scraping, security for the children, a decent life." "When I tried to thank him, do you know what he said?" "I should like to hear." ""You'll oblige me", he said," by saying nothing more about it."" "So english, so wonderfully english." "I'm ashamed." "I'm so ashamed, I could kill myself." "Good luck, sir." "Don't trample on me!" "What do they isn't the circus." "I can't tell." "I didn't ask them to come." "Your mother wants you and Irene to dine with us tonight." "I'll come, anyway." "Thank you." "What do you mean, you'll come?" "Oh, I'll tell you later." "Ah, in good time, I see." "The case is just coming on." "Ah, Chankery." "Well, I shall be very interested to hear what your client has to say." "Well, you may be surprised too." "I doubt it." "With respect, but I doubt it." "Still no sign of Bosinney." "Counsel, eh?" "Which is which?" "Eh, Waterbuck Q.C. For Soames in silk." "The junior, Chankery, for Bosinney." "Thank you." "The big battalion's on your side, eh?" "Good." "No sign of the buccaneer, huh?" "He's late." "He'll be here." "That chap's late for everything, but he'll come." "And I'll tell you why." "He's on a loser if he doesn't, that's why." "I'll bet you three to one he doesn't turn up." "In pounds?" "You're on, George." "Forsyte against Bosinney." "The facts in this case, my lord, are not in dispute." "This being so, all we shall ask your lordship to do is to interpret the correspondence which took place between my client, mr." "Soames Forsyte, and the defendant, mr." "Philip Bosinney, an architect, with regard to the decoration of a house." "I would submit, however, that this correspondence can only mean one very plain thing." "And with your lordship's permission..." "Can I help you, miss?" "Oh, if you will." "Where are they trying the case of Forsyte against Bosinney?" "In here." "You will be quiet, won't you,miss?" "The case is already on." ""Dear Bosinney, I did not mean to say that if you should" ""exceed the sum named in my letter by 10, 20, or 50 pounds" ""there would be any difficulty between us." ""That being so, I should like you to reconsider your answer." ""You have a free hand in the terms "of this correspondence," ""and I hope you will see your way "to completing the decorations," ""in the matter of which I know it is difficult to be absolutely exact." "Yours truly, Soames Forsyte."" "And now my lord, the final letter, dated may the 20th." ""Dear Forsyte, very well." "Philip Bosinney."" "Now, it's hardly surprising, my lord, that on receipt of that missive, short and sweet, if I may say so, and to the point... would you like any more than four to one?" "No, damn it, I wouldn'T." "What's that young June doing here?" "Jolyon shouldn't allow it." "I shouldn't." "I can tell you that." "...Limit of 3000 pounds by the very large sum of 350 pounds." "Now, as a matter of principle, therefore, and this I must emphasize, as a matter of principle and in the interests of others, my client has felt himself compelled to bring this action." "He is now prepared to go into the witness box, and swear that he never did authorize, it was never in his mind to authorize the expenditure of any money beyond the extreme limit fixed." "And so without wasting any more of the court's time, I'll call mr." "Soames Forsyte." "Mr. Soames Forsyte?" "Mr. Soames Forsyte." "Forsyte versus Bosinney?" "In here, sir." "The case is already on." "Am I late, or are they early?" " Bit of both, I should say, sir." "May I?" " Yes, sure." "In the course of the correspondence with this defendant, you wish to make it plain that you would not countenance any expenditure beyond a certain limit and you stated this limit in exact terms?" "What are you doing here?" "I might ask you the same question." "And yet, when you received the bill for the decoration of the house, you found that the defendant had exceeded this limit by 350 pounds?" "400 pounds." "But I was prepared to accept 50 pounds of that as extras." "Quite so." "Quite so." "Very generous." "And it is to recover that 350 pounds that you have brought this action?" "Precisely." "Thank you, mr." "Forsyte." "Mr. Forsyte, when you agreed that mr." "Bosinney should do the decorations, did you not use the expression "a free hand"?" "No." "Now, come, come, mr." "Forsyte." "The expression I used was "a free hand in the terms of this correspondence"." "And do you tell the court that this is english?" "Certainly." "What does it mean?" " What it says." "But what does it say?" "A free hand in the terms of this correspondence." "And you do not consider this to be a contradiction in terms?" "Not at all." "And yet I believe that you are not an irishman, mr." "Forsyte?" "Is it not perfectly obvious, mr." "Chankery, that mr." "Forsyte, whatever else he may be, is not an irishman?" "Where's Bosinney?" "Not here.Why not?" "I never expected him to come." "All this gibberish means nothing to Phil." "Are you sure there isn't a message?" "No message at all, sir." "Dear." "Oh, mr." "Bosinney!" "Oh, I do beg your pardon," "I thought you were someone else." "And if your lordship had had the opportunity, as I have, to see the house, to examine the delicacy and beauty of the work executed by my client, an artist in a most honorable profession," "I am persuaded... nay, I am convinced that not for one moment would your lordship have tolerated this daring... no, I say blatant attempt on behalf of the plaintiff to avoid his legitimate responsibilities." "My lord," "I fear that some disaster must have befallen my client." "I know he is most anxious to be here today to give his evidence, and yet he is nowhere to be found." "With your permission, I will call him again." "I call Philip Baynes Bosinney." "And your change." "Thank you." "May I get you a cab?" "Thank you, no." "I should like to leave my luggage here, if I may,and send for it later." "But by all means." "Thank you." "It has been sought on behalf of the defendant, to show that no limit to expenditure was fixed during this correspondence." "If this were so,I can find no reason for the importation by the plaintiff into the correspondence of the sums of 12,000 pounds and subsequently of 35 pounds." "It is manifest to me that by his letter of may the 20th, the defendant assented to a very clear proposition." "By the terms of which he must be held to be bound." "For these reasons, there will be judgment for the plaintiff for the amount claimed, with costs." "Thank you." "Not at all, my dear chap." "Well, congratulations, cousin soames." "A noble victory." "I suppose you're representing uncle jolyon." "Well, you can tell him that i won't be too hard on bosinney." "We'll come to some arrangement." "I shouldn't worry too much about that if I were you." "I'm sure Bosinney's debt will be paid." "So that's it." "Phil isn't here." "Nobody's here." "Except you... and I." "Yes." "I came to tell him Soames won the case." "Of course." "Phil wasn't there." "I didn't expect him to be." "Why not?" " Phil wouldn't defend himself." "Why should he?" " He's done nothing wrong." "No." "All he did was to make the house more beautiful." "What are you doing here?" "Don't stand there like that, as if you were made of stone." "I wish to God I were." "So... it's all true, everything I've tried not to think about, everything they've said about you, it's all true." "I don't know what they've said." "I haven't been listening." "You've no right to be here." "I've no right anywhere." "What do you mean?" " I've left Soames." "You always said I should." "Don't you remember?" "But it wouldn't have happened." "I should never have got free if..." "Stop!" "Don't tell me." "I don't hear anything." "I don't want to know anything." "Why not?" "Are you afraid?" "You shouldn't be." "You were my friend." "I thought you were my friend." "Yes." "And you were a child." "But you're no longer a child." "You're a woman." "And you should know by now that women don't have friends." "They have a lover, and other people they just happen to have met." "You revolt me." "Yes." "But don't imagine that if you had given yourself to Philip, anything would have been different." "Whatever you could do or say, nothing would have been different." "Tell me." "Have you seen him since yesterday?" "No." "Have you?" "No." "And I have the strangest feeling, as if my life had suddenly come to an end." "What are talking about?" "You've ruined my life, and you'll ruin his." "So go away." "I don't care what happens to you." "Just go." "Go!" "Irene?" "Irene!" "Your evening paper, sir." "Thank you, parfitt." "Miss June come in yet?" "Yes, she has, sir." "Ah, there you are." "I want to talk to you." "Come and sit down." "Now, as you know, your father and I reconciled, and I'm glad of it." "I'm glad, if it's a comfort to you." "It is." "So I've decided on something." "I thought I'd mention it to you before I spoke to your father." "I'm going to give up this great place, sell it, and buy a house near London, where we can all live together, as a family should, eh?" "Yes, gran." "As for your stepmother, well, she's a good, kind woman." "You used to like her when you were a child, and she's very fond of Jo." "The children, they're dear little things." "Well, what do you say?" "Gran, I think..." "and if by any chance you didn't get on with them, we'd find a little flat for you in London." "I don't see why it wouldn't work splendidly." "There's just one thing." "Yes?" "What?" " I was going to suggest this anyway." "If we're moving to the country, why don't you buy the house at robin hill?" "What?" " It's all finished and perfectly beautiful, and nobody's going to live there now." "Well, why not?" "Isn't Soames?" "I'm certain he isn't." "I'm certain." "So if you could buy it, and if you could settle Soames' claim on Phil." "That was already in my mind." "Oh, gran, you're so good." "Oh, rubbish !" "I told your father, I won't have the boy hounded by that grasping lot, no matter what he's done." "Do you know what they say is going on?" "Yes, I know." "No, I don't know, and I don't care." "Things are changed." "I want to help him, and I will." "You want your own way in everything." "But as for the house, I'll think about it." "Well, there isn't much time." "If you don't do something at once, goodness knows what Phil may do." "He may do anything." "Anything!" "I won't go to Soames." "I don't want anything more to do with him." "But you needn't." "Do it through uncle James." "Go and see him now." "Now?" " Why not?" "Your father and stepmother are coming to dinner." "Oh, it isn't half-past six." "Please, gran, go now." "Very well." "Order the carriage." "Dear gran." "Dear, dear, gran." "It'll all come right now, thanks to you." "I'm sure it'll all come right." "My dear boy." "My dear boy." "What do you mean, left you?" "You never told me she was going to leave you." "I didn't know." "Soames, how dreadful." "Father, what's to be done?" "How should I know what's to be done?" "What's the good of asking me?" "Nobody tells me anything, and then they come and ask me what's to be done." "I can't tell." "Here's your mother.There she stands." "She doesn't say anything." "What I should say you've got to do is follow her." "I don't know where she's gone." "Didn't she leave anywhere." "where do you suppose she's gone, after that young Bosinney,that's where." "I know how it'd be." "Why don't you go round to his room, studio,whatever he calls it?" "I've just come from there." "she wasn't there, and neither was he." "Then they've gone off together." "Abroad, I shouldn't wonder." "Nonsense, James." "They haven't a penny between them." "But mother..." "Soames, what about her jewels?" "They're surely worth a great deal." "She's taken nothing, nothing at all." "Just one valise, and some of her oldest clothes." "We'll have a scandal." "I always said so." "Come now, James." "Soames will do all that he can." "And there you stand, you two and your mother." "I don't know." "But if she hasn't gone off with Bosinney, my advice, Soames, is to find her." "And when you do, don't listen." "Make her come back." "Excuse me, sir." "What is it?" "Mr. Jolyon Forsyte, sir, has called to see you." "Jolyon?" "Now what should he want, eh?" "I have a very good idea, and I don't want to see him." "But... come along, Winifred." "We'll be in the other room, James." "And do try not to upset yourself too much." "There's a dear." "Upset?" "Ha." "All right, ask my brother to come in." "Very good, sir." "Please come this way, sir." "I've come to see you about this business between Soames and Bosinney." "I'm told this new house is a white elephant." "I know nothing about white elephants." "Bosinney's lost his case, and he'll likely go bankrupt." "I shouldn't wonder at it." "So Soames will be out of pocket." "I dare say, but..." "now, what I thought was this." "If Soames is not going to live at Robin hill... now, I don't want to know anything." "I suppose Irene's put her foot down." "But I am looking for a country house myself." "If the price is right, I don't say I mightn't look at it." "Soames spent a lot of money there." "He'll want a good figure." "If he thinks I'll get a fancy price, he's mistaken." "Let him try and sell it at a forced sale, see what he'll get." "I'm told it's not every man's idea of a house." "It's a gentleman's house." "Anyway, Soames is here if you want to see him." "Uncle James, I apologize for this interruption." "But this isn't a social call, otherwise I should not have come." "There's something I have to say to my father immediately." "Yes, Jo, what is it?" "You and Soames should hear it too." "Soames?" "What's it got to do with..." "He's here, isn't he?" "Soames." "Yes?" " Come here a minute." "Well?" "After you left Stanhope gate, father, a police inspector called." "Philip Bosinney was run over yesterday in the fog." "What?" "Is he...?" "Yes, he was killed, instantly." "He's lying in the hospital now, the inspector wanted to know if you would go there immediately." "I will come at once." "You and your son had better come too." "I should tell you..." "I should tell you there's talk of suicide." "Suicide?" "Why suicide?" "Why should he want to do a thing like that?" "God knows, if you and your son don't!" "Please, father." "Mr. Forsyte?" "We are all forsytes." "I'm obliged to you for coming so quick." "What happened?" "We're not just sure." "Maybe it was an accident, maybe not." "The fog was not so thick just there, and the omnibus driver says the gentleman had ample time to avoid him." "But he walked straight under the horse's hooves." "It was an accident." "You may say that, sir, But he was very hard up." "We found several pawn tickets in his rooms, his account at the bank was overdrawn, and for a by," "well, you've seen the account of the case of the day's papers." "A case that went against him." "Will you step in here,gentlemen?" "I'd like a positive identification." "He had an uncle, you know." "He's abroad, sir." "Would you mind?" "Do you identify the gentleman, sir?" "Yes, that is Philip Bosinney." "Quite a young sort of chap, wasn't he?" "I don't know." "It's a waste." "What about... what about her?" "Yes, sad." "You'll forgive me, inspector." "Well, sir?" "You can discount suicide, inspector." "He had everything to live for." "What do you make of this?" "Found in his breast pocket." "Any ideas?" "No." "I'm sorry." "I can't help you."