"I got the first part, all right." "You're in love with Fleur." "Yes." "I'm sorry." "I can understand that." "Does Fleur know?" "Yes." "She doesn't know that I'm telling you, she wouldn't let me, but you've nothing against her." "Yet." "No." "Then aren't you going to clear out?" "At first, I intended to." "I told Fleur that I would." "Well, now it seems that there may be a chance for me." "Does it, by God?" "I'd say a faint chance, but while it exists, I shan't give up." "Michael, I'm desperate." "I'd have to be to do this to you, but there it is." "I can't help myself." "I will take her from you if I can." "I always say there's nothing to beat friendship." "Oh, yes, rub it in, but I tell you, when I think of you going home to Fleur," "and then think of myself, well, I advise you not to rub it in." "Well, horse whips are out, aren't they?" "And since this isn't a dostoevsky novel, there's no point in going on and on about it." "There's no more to be said." "Push off." "You realize, of course, that I have probably dished myself by warning you." "Still, I haven't bombed without declaring war." "No." "That's very decent of you." "You can push my books off onto another publisher." "Sorry for being so...primitive." "Hello, Michael." "You're late." "I've just been writing a letter to Bart." "Lunch tomorrow week, Gerdin Minnow." "Alison's coming, but who else, do you think?" "Nothing jazzy." "Of course not, but it must be someone intriguing." "Oh, bother." "Sometimes I think it isn't worth it." "Don't worry." "You'll snare all the right cuckoos." "The chinese ambassador would be perfect." "I'll ask Bart to try for me." "Oh, by the way, father's here for the night." "He's got a board meeting tomorrow." "Oh, where is he?" "Upstairs." "Is anything wrong, Michael?" "You look glum." "Yes." "Fleur?" "Hmm?" "Wilfrid's been telling me." "How do you mean, telling you?" "Just that he's in love with you.Nothing more." "There's nothing more to tell, is there?" "Of course there's nothing more." "If Wilfrid chooses to be so silly... chooses?" "Fleur, it's not quite as simple as that." "I know what the poor devil feels like." "I dare say but what's the good of telling people?" "That's not going to help him or anybody." "So is that the end of Wilfrid?" "The end?" "Well, Michael, I don't know." "Fleur, you know what I'm like about people." "If I'm fond of them, I can't suddenly hate them." "Freedom's the thing, as far as possible, and a contract's only valid as long as both sides want to keep it." "Don't forget, will you," "I love you awfully." "Am I likely to?" "Oh, don't look solemn, Michael." "I rely on your cheerfulness." "Besides, it doesn't suit the shape of your ears." "Come in." "Ah." "Have you got everything you want, dad?" "Oh, yes." "Yes, yes, yes." "Most comfortable." "Michael home yet?" "I don't suppose he'll be very late." "I expect he only went so that you and i could have a good gossip together." "Yes, he's a thoughtful chap, but this labor party rally he's gone to, or whatever it is, what's he want to waste his time on that for?" "Michael's got a social conscience." "Much good that'll do him." "Is he a socialist?" "In theory, yes." "This chap he's gone to hear, what's his name?" "Bradfield." "Bolshevik, they tell me, one of those red demagogues." "No, no, on the contrary." "You're thinking of Bradford." "Oh, we've met this one...grammar school." "Oxford scholarship." "And the London school of economics." "A party intellectual." "Brilliant, of course, but he's on the wrong tack." "In what way?" "Well, he's as dry as a bone himself, no juice." "So people to him are ciphers, numbers on a graph." "Utopia will come when men and women stop wanting more than their fair share, but that won't wash, will it, dad?" "I doubt it." "Still, Michael will see through him." "Michael's got a sense of proportion and a sense of humor, thank heaven." "Oh, that." "I've never seen the use of it." "My cousin George..." "I remember him." "Did he come to our wedding?" "He looked at me as though I wasn't wearing any clothes to speak of." "Yes, well, he's always been considered the wit of the family, never saw it myself, but that's all over now." "Oh?" "Yes, he died this evening." "His man telephoned me." "Two hours after I left him." "He was no age at all, younger than me even." "Hmm... well, he never looked after himself, rackety chap." "Still, if he enjoyed the life he chose, isn't that all that matters?" "That's a point of view." "Oh, I'm not criticizing him." "Are you criticizing me?" "Now, my dear child..." "I don't know." "I thought it was there somewhere in your tone." "You're quite mistaken, but I might be concerned." "For what?" "Your happiness." "Well, you've been married for two years now." "Isn't it about time you started thinking about the future?" "You mean children?" "Mm." "There's a lot of nonsense talked, of course, but the whole thing's a great deal more simple these days." "I hope you feel that." "Of course, dad, is no hurry." "Well, I don't know." "The french and the royal family have a very sound habit of getting these things over with early." "There is many a slip." "Anyway, it keeps them out of mischief." "I'm not sure I understand." "You're very attractive." "I don't want to see you take too much to these gadabout ways, because you've got all sorts of friends." "I suppose I have." "You and Michael get on all right, don't you?" "Yes, of course we do." "Well, then, why wait?" "I mean, after all, you must remember that your son will be a whatchamacallit, a baronet, hmm?" "It mightn't be a son." "Well... that's easily remedied at your age." "Oh, dad, I don't want a lot." "One, perhaps, or two." "You know, I'd almost prefer a daughter." "Something... something like you." "Oh, I don't know." "It's such...well, it's such a tie, like digging your own grave." "Well, I wouldn't have put it as high as that." "No man would." "Oh, well, I just thought i'd mention it." "I have your happiness at heart." "I know, darling." "I'm a selfish pig." "I'll think about it." "In fact, I have thought about it." "That's good." "You've got a good head on your shoulders and that's a great comfort to me." "Good night, my dear." "Good night." "Michael, where on earth did you get that?" "I just found it sitting there stuck between the railings as I was coming in." "You are a baby, Michael." "I believe you bought it." "Not a bit." "It obviously fell from heaven and came to rest in South square." "How did the rally go?" "Was Bradfield amusing?" "Oh, not really." "Full of wind, just like this thing, and not nearly so colorful." "You know, Fleur, it's hell being in love." "You think so?" "I know so." "That's not true tonight, Michael." "Fleur... baise away, my darling." "Look at the time." "Have another slice, Tony." "There's a love." "We've got plenty of marge." "Not for me." "I've had heaps." "Besides, it'll make me late for the office." "Mustn't keep me secretary waiting." "How you can laugh about it?" "Oh, here." "Let me have that when you come home, love." "I'll try and put a stitch in it for you." "All righty-O." "You want to watch it, Can't afford to be too smart, not in my profession." "Tony, you don't have to." "Oh, cheer up, vic." "You going after that job today?" "I went..." "yesterday." "Well, you didn't say." "What happened?" "They were full up." "What's the matter with this bleeding world?" "Don't worry, love." "It'll be all right." "Yeah, well, I'm away." "Tony?" "Yeah?" "Do you think if you went back to Danby's..." "not a chance." "If you went to see mr." "Mont again... you said he was a real gent." "No." "That job's off." "See you later, love." "And mind you get something to eat dinnertime, eh?" "Oh, Tony, here you are." "Ta." "Ta-ra." "Well, mr." "Forsyte, there are the figures." "Are you satisfied?" "I will agree to this year's dividend on condition that we drop this foreign business in future, lock, stock and barrel." "Mr. Forsyte's attitude to insist on such a condition does seem to me to savor somewhat of panic." "After all, the foreign business is responsible for a good third of our profit this year." "There is nothing in the foreign situation at the moment, mr." "Forsyte, which gives particular cause for alarm." "Oh, I admit we should watch it carefully." "You can'T." "Well, here we are, four years from the armistice and we know no more now where we stand than we did then." "If I'd known the extent to which we were committed to this foreign policy," "I wouldn't have come on the board." "We must drop it." "Rather an extreme view, and hardly a matter we can decide in a moment." "Very well." "Unless you can give me an assurance that you will tell the shareholders in the report that we are dropping this foreign business, you drop me." "I must be free to raise the question at the general meeting." "You are holding a pistol to our heads." "I have a responsibility to the shareholders and I hope I shall do my duty by them." "So have we all, mr." "Forsyte, and I hope we shall all do our duty." "Why not confine the foreign business to the small countries?" "Their currency is safe enough." "No." "We must go back to safety." "Splendid isolation, Forsyte?" "Meddling was all very well in wartime, but in peacetime, politics or business, this half-and-half interference is not good enough." "We can't control the foreign situation." "I should be glad of a word, if I may, mr." "Chairman?" "Certainly." "If this policy was of my initiation and I think I may claim it, it has been of substantial benefit to the society so far." "Agreed." "However, when a member of the board makes so strong a stand against it's continuance," "I certainly don't press the board to continue." "The times are uncertain and a risk is, of course, involved, no matter how conservative our estimates." "That's very handsome of you, Elderson." "Mr. Chairman, I think we can say that's very handsome of our manager, but, gentlemen, this is a very serious point of policy," "and as your chairman has said," "I don't see how we can decide it in a moment." "If I am to endorse the report, it must be decided today." "Well, I've made up my mind, but please yourselves." "I can't say I go the whole way with you, Forsyte, but I've had a few thoughts since we met last week." "I think there may be dangers ahead, as our manager has just pointed out." "Some risk is inseparable from our present policy." "You can't conduct business without risk, but with foresight, you can reduce it." "Is that what you're saying, mr." "Forsyte?" "A compromise seems to me both obvious and desirable." "We are on a serious point, I grant you, but our function is to reach decisions." "A compromise, Mont?" "What have you in mind?" "Forsyte named it." "Pay this year's dividend, cut our european commitments, so long as things look unsettled over there." "Ah." "Very well." "Can we agree, gentlemen, that the report shall contain the announcement that we are abandoning all foreign risks during the present continental uncertainty?" "Aye." "Is there any other business, Elderson?" "Not as far as I know, but perhaps mr." "Forsyte...?" "Well, in that case,if you'll forgive me, gentlemen,I'll get back to work." "Thank you, gentlemen." "My dear fellow, you certainly are not one for mincing words." "No, never was." "I don't see the point of it." "Your friend Elderson puzzles me." "I don't see why." "You forced an issue." "For once, I was inclined to agree with old Dosey cosey mothergill." "Elderson conceded very handsomely." "I never expect him to be exactly biddable." "Precisely." "It was out of character." "What is it, miss Perren?" "Someone to see you, mr." "Mont." "Oh?" "Who?" "A young lady, a miss Manuelli." "I've never heard of her." "What does she want?" "It's about the manuscript of a novel." "She says she sent it to you two months ago, and not having had an acknowledgement, she thought she'd call in." "We can't have received it." "We acknowledge everything automatically." "Do you know anything about it?" "There's nothing on our files." "I'm sure I'd remember, mr." "Mont." "Yes, I'm sure you would, miss Perren." "Oh, well, all right." "I'd better see her." "Miss Manuelli." "Hello." "Come and sit down." "Smoke?" "No, thank you." "Well, about this manuscript, miss Manuelli..." "Not Manuelli." "The name's Bicket." "Good lord." "My husband used to work here." "I'm sorry about the trick, mr." "Mont." "I didn't think they'd let me see you if I said who I really was." "Oh, that's all right." "Well, I'm relieved we haven't lost a priceless manuscript." "What can I do for you?" "It's about Tony, sir." "He often spoke of you." "Well, he hasn't got any work and I wondered if you could find room for him?" "He just sells balloons on the street now." "Well, there's no money in it." "I know he's nervy and he gets on wrong with people, but if you could take him back... well, we couldn't do that, I'm afraid." "It'S... well, there's no place for him here now." "Are you all right again?" "Oh, yes, except I can't seem to find work again, either." "Well, bad luck." "I say...you have got a face, haven't you?" "El Greco with just a touch of the Mona lisa." "Remarkable." "Oh, I'm sorry." "It's just a dispassionate judgment, mrs." "Bicket." "But as far as I'm concerned, you take the golden apple every time." "If I can't help your husband, think I might be able to find work for you." "What kind of work, sir?" "Have you ever heard of Aubrey Greene?" "No." "Well, he's a painter, an old friend of mine, but pretty good." "In fact, very good in a decadent sort of way." "Would you mind sitting for him?" "Sitting?" "Well, that's the usual term for it." "It's rather silly, since you're just as likely to find yourself standing, kneeling, or lying down for him." "I mean posing as an artist's model." "Oh, I see." "Oh, I don't mind, mr." "Mont." "I don't mind what I do to save some money." "Splendid." "Well, I'll tell you what I'll do." "I'll write him a note and you can take it round to him." "But he'll only need to take one look at you and he'll use you.I promise you." "Oh, there is one thing." "Mm?" "I'd rather my husband didn't know... well, I mean, that I came to see you." "Well, if you don't tell him, mrs." "Bicket, nobody else will." "By the way, whereabouts does he...?" "Gresham passage near st." "Paul'S." "Right." "Well, I'll bump into him accidentally... but there's nothing for him here, I'm afraid." "Anyway, he couldn't make ends meet in this job, so he told me." "Oh, that was when I was ill, sir." "Well, of course." "That does make a difference." "There." "Thank you." "Well, good luck, mrs." "Bicket." "Thank you, sir." "Thank you ever so." "Bye-bye." "Well, some type, eh?" "Oh, don't frown, miss Perren." "She didn't touch me for a shilling." "She wasn't an authoress, was she?" "Far from it." "Well, I hope she got what she wanted." "Oh, miss Perren, you think I'm a fool, don't you?" "No, just soft-hearted." "Well, would it surprise you to know that I've done a stroke of business?" "Yes, mr." "Mont." "Oh, well, I shan't tell you about it in that case." "That girl...unusual, eh?" "Good figure too." "She stands up straight." "Tell me, miss Perren, why do modern girls walk in a curve with their heads poked forward?" "They can't all be built like that, surely." "Well, there is a reason, but... ooh, I'm sorry." "Should I ask my wife?" "No, no." "It's just that, we, girls aren't supposed to have... well, they an't supposed to have anything behind, and of course they have, so they have to sort of pull their chests in in order to get the right effect." "It's the fashion, you see?" "Yes." "Oh, yes, I see." "Well, thanks awfully, miss Perren." "A bit weird, don't you think?" "I don't hold with it myself." "No." "Quite." "Will you do those letters now?" "Ah...no." "After lunch." "I've got to go and see a man." "Very well, mr." "Mont." "Hello, Bicket." "Is this your new stunt?" "Hello, mr." "Mont.Nice to see you again." "Same here." "Come and have some lunch." "Really, sir?" "There's a fish place just around the corner." "Oh, well..." "Hello, Butterfield." "Hello, sir..." "Well, Fletcher's off sick, sir." "Sick, eh?" "What's the matter with him?" "No idea, sir." "Old age and boredom,I shouldn't wonder." "Now, where did I leave those papers?" "Ah, there we are." "How'd you like to spend the rest of your days filling ink pots?" "I don't intend to, sir." "Oh, ambitious, eh?" "Well, I want to get on." "Don't we all?" "Let me give you a tip, my boy." "Never do other people's work for them." "That is the surest way to become a general dogsbody." "You mark my words." "Shall I get it, sir?" "Yes, please, Butterfield." "Unless, of course, you'd like me to do it for you." "Hello." "Butterfield speaking." "Yes, he is.Yes. Right, miss Carter." "I'll tell him." "It's your secretary, sir." "Mr. Smith is waiting for you in the office." "Thank you." "He's on his way down." "Ah, that's right." "Now, then, two good soles, grill to follow, and a bottle of the chablis." "Thank you." "Oh, my god!" "Dig in, bicket." "Yes, it's a funny world." "That's a fact." "This lot'll cost you a quid at least." "The best I can take in a week is 25 bob." "And there you touch a raw spot." "Eh?" "I eat my conscience every day." "Oh, no, sir." "If you've got the money, spend it." "I would." "Be happy if you can, I say." "There ain't too many what are." "Ah... what a performance." "If it were corked, you wouldn't serve it, would you?" "Look, just dish the stuff out." "There's a good chap." "Ah." "Your health, Bicket." "And to you, sir." "But like I was saying, that's where them socialists make an error." "Really?" "Yeah." "Divide all the money equally, what would we all get, eh?" "Five quid a week?" "Not good enough." "I'd rather have less with the hope of more." "Take away the gamble and life's a frost." "Here's luck." "Almost thou persuadest me to be a capitalist, Bicket." "No, sir, no." "I don't want a world where you can't draw prizes." "Take my wife, for instance." "If it was all according to merit, I'd never have got her, see?" "Yes, I do see.You have a point." "Of course I have.It's human nature." "By the way, if some spare clothes are of any use, you'll let me have your address?" "That's very kind, sir." "I could do with them." "Um..." "I suppose mrs." "Mont wouldn't have a few old things?" "Yes, I expect we'll send them along." "Oh, you're a gent, sir." "Straight up." "Yeah, how's mr." "Desert?" "All right, I think." "I wish you'd tell him it was an accident, my pitching on his books, I mean." "I was sorry after." "Well, isn't it always an accident when we steal other people's goods i mean, we never want to." "Something makes us do it." "Hunger... the needs of those dependent on us, passion... come on, let me fill your glass." "At least today, we'll live a little." "I'm so sorry." "Do sit down." "Will you sit for anything?" "Yes, sir." "Would you mind taking your hat off?" "Ah..." "I wonder... go over to the dais, will you?" "This is your first shot, then?" "Yes, sir." "All the better." "Cold?" "A bit, sir." "This will warm you." "What is it?" "Grand marnier." "Good luck." "Cigarette?" "Take one." "You draw it in." "Oh, I'm sorry." "Where were you born?" "Putney, sir." "Ah, that's very interesting." "I should have thought somewhere more exotic than putney." "My father was italian." "Ah." "That explains it." "Tell me, miss...?" "Manuelli, sir." "Victorine Manuelli." "Are you at large, miss Manuelli, or have you any other occupation?" "Not at the present, sir." "I'm married." "Nothing else." "I pay five shillings for an hour and a half." "Does that suit you?" "Oh, yes." "Would you sit for the altogether,miss Manuelli?" "The altogether what, sir?" "In the nude." "Do you mean like that, sir?" "Yes." "Would it mean more money, sir?" "Yes." "Half as much again." "More perhaps." "But I don't want you to if you'd rather not." "You can think it over and let me know next time." "Thank you, sir." "Right." "Only please don't "sir" me." "By george!" "When you smile... can you keep smiling?" "What makes you smile?" "Can't you think of anything comic?" "I suppose you're not in love with your husband, for instance?" "Oh, yes." "Well, try that." "No, that won't do." "Well, never mind." "It doesn't matter now." "We may discover a way later." "Did you ever see "L'apres-midi d'une faune"?" "No." "I'm getting an idea." ""L'apres-midi d'une dryad."" "It would mean the nude, but you needn't worry about that." "It's quite impersonal." "Think of art." "And five shillings an hour." "Shads of Nijinsky!" "I'm beginning to see the whole thing." "Five bob an hour." "For three hours." "Maybe more." "That's 15 bob." "At five days a week." "Why, that's more than four quid." "I only came because you promised to be good." "I don't know what you're talking about." "I don't know what you expect." "Please, let me go." "It can't go on, Fleur." "If only you weren't so... well, so physical." "Yes, I know." "Let me not to the marriage of true minds admit impediment." "That won't wash, at least not with me." "Well then, let's talk of something sensible." "What have you been writing?" "You won't like it." "It's frightfully bitter." "It's frightfully true." "Does Michael ever ask you if you've seen me?" "Never." "Why?" "I don't know." "What would you answer if he did?" "Yes, that's your attitude, isn't it, Fleur?" "Well, I tell you,it won't last." "Wilfrid, I'm sorry, truly, I am, but... stay where you are." "He's down there, in the street." "Michael, but how could he have known?" "You don't know him at all, do you?" "Do you suppose he'd have come if he thought you were here?" "Then why should he have come?" "Perhaps he wanted to talk to me." "He's dithering about, can't make up his mind." "Don't get the wind up." "He won't be allowed in." "Has he seen you?" "No." "But you realize, don't you, that I only have to open that window and shout, "Michael!"" "And he'll be up here like a shot." "And you'd really be in the soup." "But you couldn't...you wouldn't do that." "Wouldn't I?" "Where is he now?" "He's going down the street." "Shall I call him back?" "I'm a blackguard, but not quite to that point,worse luck." "He's gone." "No, Wilfrid!" "But it is odd, isn't it?" "I mean, why should he choose today?" "You don't suppose he's easy in his mind, do you?" "You're sneering at me because I don't love you." "Perhaps." "And perhaps a little because you don't love Michael." "You're unjust." "I can love." "I have." "I wish I'd never come here, and I'll never come again." "A sensible decision." "You think I'm a heartless beast." "Well, so I am now." "Goodbye." "Final!" "Final!" "France occupies Ruhr!" "Paper, sir?" "Thank you, sir!" "Balloons, sir?" "It's you, sir." "Have a magenta one." "Magenta one?" "Balloons!" "Lovely balloons!" "Who'll buy my balloons?" "Have I missed a marvelous experience, my ting-a-ling?" "Or just got myself out of a bad scrape?" "You don't care either way, do you?" "Oh." "Mrs. Mont speaking." "Who?" "Oh, yes." "Yes, of course, I do." "I see you, you monster." "What?" "Yes, I'm expecting my father any minute." "Is it...?" "Oh, I see." "Well, if it's really important, I'll tell him." "Yes." "Thank you." "Goodbye." "They don't know what goes on inside do they, ting-a-ling?" "Hello, dad." "What's happened?" "Happened?" "I just thought...from your face." "France has gone into the ruhr." "Pretty kettle of fish." "The mark's falling like a stone, and all they talk at the club is golf." "Oh, old mr." "Gradman's just telephoned." "What did he want?" "To come around here." "He says it's extremely urgent and confidential, so I said he could, all right?" "Yes, I suppose so." "I've bought you a picture." "Chinese." "Chinese!" "But how jolly!" "No, it's not." "It's a monkey eating fruit." "But that's perfect.Where is it?" "In the hall." "Funny little chap, this." "He seems to know me." "Two wise ancients together." "But, duckie,it's a masterpiece." "Frightfully good period, shouldn't you think?" "I don't know.I shall have to look up the chinese." "I don't think you ought to give it to me." "It must be worth any amount." "I prefer you to have it." "It ought to be in your collection." "It'll be safer here." "Of course it will be safe." "Mr. Greene, ma'am." "Aubrey." "How nice!" "That's what I've come about." "Ting, stop it!" "He will lick the copper, Aubrey." "But how perfectly chinese." "They do everything we don't." "Dad, this is Aubrey greene, the painter." "How do you?" "By jove!" "E did you get this, Fleur?" "It belonged to a cousin of mine, a racing chap, who died the other day." "I bought it out of the estate." "300 guineas." "Is that all?" "Yes." "It was the only picture he had." "Good for him!" "He must have had taste.No, no." "What he liked about it was that it made you feel uncomfortable." "Same thing.Isn't it terrific, Fleur?" "I don't know where I've seen a more pungent satire on human life." "I don't follow you." "The perfect allegory, sir." "Don't you agree, Fleur?" "Eat the fruits of life, scatter the rinds, and get copped doing it." "I think that describes it beautifully." "Allegory?" "All I see is flawless technique." "That's enough for me." "It's not enough." "Forgive, sir, but I can't agree." "A painter has to communicate as much as a writer or composer." "And monkeys!" "Have you ever looked at them in the zoo?" "I mean really looked at them?" "That's where our chinaman's succeeded." "By god!" "He's brought it off completely." "This poor old ape thinks there's something beyond life, and he's sad or angry because he can't get at it." "That picture ought to be in the british museum with the label, "civilization", caught out." "Well, it won't be." "It'll be here, labeled "the white monkey"." "Same thing." "Cynicism gets you nowhere." "If you'd said modernity caught out..." "I do, sir." "But why be narrow?" "You don't seriously suppose this age is worse than any other?" "Oh, don't I?" "In my view, the world reached its high point in the '80s, and will never reach it again." "I say, that's most frightfully interesting." "I was too young to remember, but I suppose you all believed in god and drove about in diligence?" "Diligence?" "We drove out in a barouche or a victorian or a hansom." "Now I'll tell you something about those days... when I was a youngster in Switzerland, with my family, my sister Winifred ate some black cherries." "She'd only eaten a few when she discovered they were full of maggots." "A young english climber out there, seeing that she was upset, he ate the whole lot, about two pounds." "Maggots, stones and all, just to show her." "That was the sort of chaps they were." "Golly!" "He must have been completely gone on your sister." "Not particularly." "She never saw him again." "His name was Powley." "He wore red side-whiskers." "You invented him, dad, whiskers and all." "I never invent anything." "Shades of ouida and G.A. Henty!" "Fleur, I must skidaddle." "But look, can I borrow your peke tomorrow afternoon, just for an hour or two?" "Yes, of course." "Why?" "I've found a topping little model, at least Michael has.He sent her to me." "Michael did?" "Yes, but she can't smile." "Well, she can, and when she does, it's like sunlight on an italian valley." "But if you ask her to, she can'T." "I thought ting might help." "May I come and see?" "Please do.Bring him along tomorrow afternoon about 3:00." "So long, sir." "Thrilled to meet you." "Thrilled?" "Fellow's a mountebank." "No, dad, is a very serious painter Then what does he want to talk like that for?" "Everybody talks like that nowadays." "I don't." "No, thank goodness." "Look, would you mind if we leave you after dinner?" "We accepted for a party." "Fancy dress." "We've all got to go dressed as butterflies." "Ridiculous, really." "Don't you ever want to grow up?" "It's the craze." "Marjorie Ferrar gave a party with everyone dressed as babies." "It was killing!" "Mr. Gradman is here, ma'am." "Ah, thanks, Coaker." "To see mr." "Forsyte.Ask him to come in." "I'll leave you to it." "See you later." "Hello, mr." "Gradman." "Nice to see you." "Thank you, miss Fleur." "Good evening, gradman." "Won't you sit down?" "Thanks, mr." "Soames." "This french news, it's not nice, is it?" "No, far from it." "They're a hasty lot." "I remember your father coming in the office that morning lady Clare..." "the franco prussian war" "hardly more than 60, I'd say." "Fifty-nine.." "yes, I recall his very words." ""There," he said," ""I told them how it would be."" "That's what he said." "And here they are, at it again." "As you say... the fact is, they're cat and dog." "Always were, always will be." "Quite." "Now, what did you want to see me for?" "I took the liberty of telephoning, mr." "Soames, because I felt somehow you'd want to see the young man for yourself." "What young man?" "Name of Butterfield, from the P.P.R.S." "He called around at the office to see you." "Wouldn't tell me his business." ""Confidential," he said." "Had to talk to you privately." "Well, I nearly sent him packing, but there was something about him." "I felt it might be urgent, so I've brought him along." "Here?" "Yes." "He's waiting in the hall." "Is it as important as all that?" "I don't know, mr." "Soames, but he seems a nice, clean young fellow." "I was favorably impressed." "So it appears." "Very well, I'll see him." "But don't you go, Gradman." "I shall want you to hear what he says." "Yes, yes, very good, sir." "Will you come this way, young man?" "This is mr." "Butterfield." "Mr. Forsyte." "How do you do, sir?" "I understand you want to see me?" "Yes, sir." "Alone, if I might, sir." "It's all right." "Mr. Gradman here is my right-hand man." "You can state your business in front of him." "You work at the P.P.R.S.?" "Yes, sir." "I'm in the office." "The fact is, sir, that an accident has put some information in my hands, and I'm not easy in my mind." "Knowing you to be a solicitor, I preferred to come to you, rather go straight to the chairman." "As a lawyer, would you tell me, is my first duty to the society, being in their employ?" "Certainly." "I don't like this, sir, and I hope you'll understand that I'm not here for any personal motive." "It's just that I felt I ought to." "What's it all about, Butterfield?" "It's the insurance of our german business, sir." "Oh?" "It's a very serious matter, and I don't know how it will affect me, but the fact of the matter is, this morning, I overheard a private conversation." "Oh?" "I quite understand your tone, but the very first words did it." "After hearing them, I simply couldn't make myself known." "I hope you'll agree, sir." "Yes, I hope so too." "Who were the speakers?" "Mr. Elderson, sir." "And a man called Smith." "Though by his accent I fancy his name's a bit more foreign." "He's done most of the agenting for the german business." "What were the words?" "Well, sir, the manager was speaking, and then this man Smith said," ""quite so, mr." "Elderson," but we haven't paid you a commission" ""on this business for nothing." ""If the mark goes absolutely phut," ""you'll have to see that your society makes it good for us."" "Well!" "Yes, it was a knockout." "Where were you?" "I was in the lobby, sir, between the manager's office and the boardroom." "I'd just come from the boardroom, having sorted some papers out, and the manager's door was open an inch or so." "Of course,I know the voices well." "What then?" "Well, sir, mr." "Elderson said, "shh!" "Don't talk like that!"" "And I slipped back into the boardroom i'd had more than enough by then, I can promise you, sir." "Be very careful what you say." "This is serious." "Yes, I know, sir." "and if I'd have consulted my own interest, I wouldn't have come here." "I'm not a sneak." "Ever had any trouble at the office before?" "No, sir." "You can make enquiries." "Mr. Elderson has nothing against me and I've nothing against him." "You realize, of course, that that can be checked." "Yes, sir." "Do you think it's possible they became aware that you were there?" "I don't think so, sir." "You don't think so?" "I'm sure of it." "Very well." "Are you prepared to repeat this if necessary, to the board?" "Well, sir, I'd much rather have held my tongue, but if you decide it's got to be taken up, yes, I suppose i must go through with it now." "The trouble is, it...yes?" "Well, it may not be true." "Only, if it isn't, why didn't mr." "Elderson say, "you ruddy liar!" "?"" "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." "Over the last three years," "I have been in the position to make a close study of the Forsytes." "Fleur, of course, being half french, is not typical, but her father decidedly is, and on reflection, perhaps their strongest characteristic is a sort of honest, dogged determination." "It seemed to me, and to my father, that the Elderson affair was over," "but the Forsytes never give up." "They just wait." "Are you praying?" "No, of course not, duckie." "It's coué." "It's what?" "La méthode coué." "Emile coué." "You know, auto-suggestion, all about the subconscious." "Haven't you read his book?" "No." "But it's the rage!" "Self-mastery by conscious auto-suggestion." "What's that supposed to mean?" "Well, it sounds better in the french, I'll agree... oh, french." "Yes." "Michael and I went to one of his lectures." "Very impressive." "The idea is that all you have to do is repeat over and over again..." ""every day in every way, I'm getting better and better."" "Every day, in every way, I'm getting better and better." "It's mumbo jumbo." "No, dear." "The repetition, it trains the subconscious mind." "Don't you see?" "Then the mind directs the part that's ill to cure itself." "Repetitious rubbish." "Ill?" "You're not ill, are you?" "Of course not, duckie, but it can affect anything physical, so I keep saying, "day by day, in every way, my baby's getting more and more male."" "But what you mustn't say is, "I will have a boy."" "Because this sets up a reaction." "What you get is a girl." "Or just as likely, you don't." "And another thing." "You tie knots in a piece of string and you count the number of times you repeat, day after day." "It's very soothing." "Or you can use beads." "Like a rosary?" "Yes." "You mean to tell me you believe in all this nonsense?" "I don't know, but you remember telling me about your father how he never went to bed without saying his prayers?" "Well, did he believe in it?" "I never asked him, but I imagine he thought that if there was something in it, he might as well get the benefit." "Exactly." "Well, as I told you, I don't care if it is a girl." "I know, duckie, but Michael does." "Yes." "So does that baronet chap too, I shouldn't wonder." "Oh, is Michael in?" "No, not yet, but I'll order tea now." "No, I'll do it." "Good old Wilfrid." "Do you know, miss Perren, I really do think these are better than "Copper coin"." "What do you think?" "Well, I should call them...outré?" "Well, they're outré enough for the highbrow critics, but they're strange too, and to be strange, you've got to have guts." "If you'll excuse the phrase, miss perren." "Certainly, mr." "Mont." "Thank you." "Is this all?" "Yes, for now." "Oh, make sure that Trade journal advert goes off today, will you?" "I'll let you see it before it goes." "Thanks." "Will you see Bicket now?" "Oh, help." "Yes, I suppose so." "Hello, Bicket." "Keeping well, sir?" "Frightfully well." "Thanks." "I suppose you've come about that loan i gave your wife." "It's quite all right, you know." "I can wait." "Australia's a good idea." "I should think the sooner you go there, the better." "Mrs. Bicket doesn't look too strong." "You...you've been a good sort to me, and, well, it's hard to say things." "Then don't." "It's not what you think." "I want the truth, mr." "Mont." "I picked this up downstairs, off one of your books." "There." "Is that my wife?" "I was right, wasn't I?" "That's her face, isn't it?" "Painted by that Aubrey Greene." "And if that's her face, then it's her body too, in that blasted gallery for anyone to have a look a bob a time." "What's it mean, eh?" "What's she been up to?" "You better tell me, or so help me... steady now, Bicket!" "Steady, is it?" "You'd be steady if your wife... all that money... you never gave it to her, never, so don't tell me you did." "I lent her 10 pounds to make up the round sum." "The rest she earned, honorably, and you ought to be proud of her." "Proud?" "My God!" "How did she earn it, eh?" "As a model, sitting to my friend, mr." "Greene, and other painters." "You know what a model is?" "Models?" "Painters?" "Yes, I've heard of them." "Swine, that's what they are." "All swine!" "Look, I was..." "I was stuck on her, and she's put this up on me." "You were stuck on her, and when she does her best to help you, you turn her down." "Is that it?" "Do you suppose she liked doing it?" "How should I know?" "Come off it, Bicket." "Do you happen to remember what you did for her?" "You never told her that?" "No, but I will if you don't pull yourself together." "What does it matter now?" "When I think of her... lying like that, naked, for all the men in the world to see," "and getting 50 quid for it." "50 quid!" "Do you think I believe that was earned honest?" "You don't believe it because you're ignorant." "A girl can do what she did and still remain perfectly honest, as I haven't the faintest doubt she is." "She did it because she couldn't bear to see you selling balloons in the gutter." "She wanted to get you out, give you both a chance, and now that you've got the chance she's given you, all you want to do is kick her down." "That's all very well, but it hasn't happened to you." "No, but I'll tell you this." "If she cared to, your wife could make good money for herself now, enough to keep herself decently and enjoy life." "Well, most girls who found themselves in her position wouldn't think twice about it." "They'd ditch you in 60 seconds flat and small blame to them.." "Why didn't she tell me?" "Why didn't you tell her about stealing books?" "Oh, look here, Bicket." "There's really only one question." "Have you any reason to doubt your wife's love for you?" "I've only seen her twice, and I don't, and if she loves you, she wouldn't do you down." "How do I know?" "How do I know that?" "You've just got to trust her, Bicket." "We all of us have to do that sometimes." "You've just got to believe in her, that's all." "Well, if you can't do that, if you can't bring yourself to do that, then I'm sorry," "but you're not much of a man." "Bicket..." "Oh, don't clear yet, Coaker." "Mr. Mont will want some fresh tea." "Yes, madam." "This letter just arrived for mr." "Forsyte... sent round from your club, sir." "Sir?" "What?" "Oh." "Ye Bart, will you be staying for supper?" "If I may, if you don't mind my not changing." "Not a bit." "But I'd better have a word with cook." "Hello, my darling." "Hello, Michael." "Two prehistoric hats?" "Both parents?" "Mm-hm, both, and for dinner." "Go and and have a word with them." "I'd rather talk to you." "Later." "Are you all right?" "Rather." "Good evening, sir." "Hello, Bart. Nice to see you." "Well, the fat's in the fire with a vengeance now, Mont." "Hm?" "Why?" "Your precious school chum, Elderson." "He's levanted, skipped the country." "What?" "I don't believe..." "listen to this." ""My dear mr." "Forsyte, I'm on my way to immunity" ""from the consequences of any peccadillo "I may have been guilty of." ""By the time this reaches you," ""I shall be out of the country." ""If your object was to corner me, "I cannot congratulate you on your tactics." ""If on the other hand, "you intended butterfield's visit as a warning" ""that you were still pursuing the matter," ""I should like to add new thanks to those "which I expressed when I saw you a few days ago." ""Believe me, dear faithfully yours, Robert Elderson."" "Well, I'm damned." "Well, happy release." "You're well rid of him." "It's a pretty kettle of fish." "Where it'll end, I can't tell." "But this isn't this the end, sir?" "The end?" "Well, here's his confession in my hand." "Why not tear it up?" "Say Elderson's developed consumption or something?" "You think that would be honorable?" "I'm sorry, sir." "May I?" "What?" "Yes." "Can I help, sir?" "Avoid frivolity, if you can, and keep it to yourself." "I don't want Fleur worried." "That's all right, sir." "I'll dutch oyster the whole thing." "Here." "Well, forsyte, what do you think?" "Constantinople?" "Monte Carlo, more like." "Secret commission, it's not an extraditable offense." "I should think he's really gone to escape his women." "Women?" "I understand he kept two." "I should say that's one too many." "I said the fat was in the fire and I meant it." "Surely, my dear fellow, it's been there ever since the french occupied the Ruhr." "Elderson's cut is lucky." "We appoint a new manager." "What more can we do?" "I don't want a scandal any more than you do, but we have conclusive evidence of a fraud." "We know Elderson was illegally paid for putting through business by which the shareholders have suffered a complete loss." "How can we keep this knowledge from them?" "But the mischief's done, sir." "How will the knowledge help them?" "I will not undertake the responsibilities of concealment." "Well, we'd be accessories after the fact." "It might come out at any time." "Hmm." "I should be glad to spare Elderson's name." "After all, we were at Winchester together." "Yes, I'm aware of that." "But what risk is there of its coming out?" "Elderson won't mention it, nor will young Butterfield if you tell him not to." "No, and those who paid the commission certainly won't." "So beyond the three of us here, nobody knows." "And it's not as if we profited by it." "No." "It won't do." "Out from the law, and you'll never know where you'll finish up." "The shareholders have suffered a loss by this, and they have a right to every fact within the directors' knowledge." "They may have some form of restitution, even financial remedy against ourselves." "If that's so, Forsyte, I'm with you." "I take it that you'll support a proposal to the board that we hold a shareholder's meeting." "I will, of course, if you think we must." "I do." "I don't know what we're coming to." "Well, if we did, sir, shouldn't we all die of boredom?" "Speak for yourself." "All this unreliability." "It's a symptom of the age." "There's no moral stamina, no grit." "Well, I'm no judge of morals... but as for grit, I don't agree with you." "Oh?" "Look at Butterfield standing up to Elderson the other day." "Look at the unemployed." "How they stick it, I can't imagine." "What about that girl?" "What girl?" "Mrs. Bicket." "Husband down end out, so what does she do?" "Give up?" "Not on your life." "She gets herself a job modeling and earns enough to take them both to australia." "Wouldn't you say that took some courage, sir?" "You've been a long time." "Yeah, well, I nearly didn't come home at all." "I see you know, then." "I know you've been making a show of yourself all over London." "I want to hear the rest." "The rest?" "What else have you been getting up to?" "The whole bleeding story, and don't give me no lies for I won't stand for it." "If you believe there's any more...that's enough." "Oh, for God's sake." "Don't be mysterious." "I'm half off me nut!" "Yes, I can see that, and I can see this." "You're not what I thought you are." "Do you think i liked doing it?" "Do you think I wanted to stand there with my clothes off?" "Here." "It's honest money, all of it." "Take it." "Go to Australia without me." "And leave you to them bleeding painters?" "And leave me to myself." "Take it." "Not me." "Well, I can't take it." "I only earned that money to get you out of this hole." "What, 50 quid?" "You expect me to believe they're going to pay you all that just for sitting... five shillings an hour." "That's the rate of pay." "Cleaning doorsteps is a shilling an hour, and I'd have done that if I'd been strong enough, or if I could have found the work." "I'd have done anything... except one thing." "Vic, will you swear... swear to me you never let them touch you?" "Yes, I can swear that." "Vic... vic... when you were ill..." "I stole for you." "God's truth, Vic." "I got the sack for it." "What did you steal?" "Books." "All your extra feeding was books." "Tony... why didn't you tell me?" "I don't care, Vic." "I don't care about anything, so help me, so long as you're fond of me." "Neither do I, tony." "Let's get away from this town, this country." "Let's get out of it all." "Oh, what do you look like?" "Are you all right, darling?" "Yes, of course, Michael, but should you have left them?" "Lord, yes." "They're a funny old pair, chalk and cheese, but they get on pretty well." "Are you sure you're not ailing?" "It's just the heat." "Oh, Michael, if it goes on being hot as this, the whole thing is going to be rather a bore." "Oh, but it won't." "Three days and a thunderstorm, and you've got six weeks to go." "Anyway, english summer." "By that time, it'll probably be snowing." "And as for you, nose out of joint, except there's no nose to put." "Michael..." "I don't seem to care about anything now." "It's a funny feeling." "It's the weather." "No." "It's this whole business." "It's too long." "Everything's ready." "Now it all seems rather stupid." "One more person in the world, one more out of it... what does it matter?" "Don't, Fleur." "You mustn't." "Is wilfrid's book out yet?" "In a fortnight." "I'm sorry I gave you such a bad time there." "I only didn't want to lose him." "Nor did I, goodness knows." "He's never written, I suppose?" "No, no." "Well, I expect he's over it by now." "Nothing lasts." "I do." "Oh, you..." "I'm not as good as you deserve." "I think you are." "No, I'm selfish, especially now." "Oh, well, that's just the 11th baronet." "Perhaps." "I only hope he'll be like you." "If he's like me, I shall disown him." "Anyway, sons take after their mothers." "I meant in character." "I want him so much to be, well, cheerful, and not restless, to have the feeling that life's worth." "He will." "We'll tell him." "Michael, I don't want him greedy and self-centered like the Forsytes." "It's in my blood, you know." "I know it's ugly and I can't help it, so he must be like you." "How do you manage it?" "Do you think I'm not greedy?" "No, seriously.But I am." "Look at the way I want you." "Nothing will ever cure me of that." "Fleur... do you remember that day in the conservatory at Mapledurham?" "You were there, and you said," ""come back when I haven't got my wish."" "I remember." "Do you know I thought that was the end of everything, and I was finished, not an earthly chance." "I was a pig to you." "Never." "Yes." "But I was desperate." "I know, my darling." "But, michael, it's all gone." "I want you to be quite sure of that." "Yes, it's gone at last." "There's nothing wrong now except my own nature." "Well, if that's all... hop into bed now, darling." "I'd better go down and feed those old parents some brandy." "Well, mont, what do you think?" "It's a splendid work, but... yes, quite." "I'm inclined to agree with you." "Those eyes..." "exactly." "You can't be too careful at such times." "I'm sure you're right." "Well, if you'll give me a hand..." "certainly." "If you'll hold him..." "No, you hold him.I'll get a chair." "Have you got it?" "Yes, yes, lower away." "What on earth's going on?" "Your father thought..." "Forsyte had an idea... oh, dear." "I see." "Wrong mood, eh?" "Yes, too pessimistic." "Doesn't do for Fleur to keep on looking at it." "I hope you don't mind, michael." "Not at all, Bart." "It's very thoughtful of you both." "Oh, thank you." "Yes, well, put it away till it's over." "Ah, here we are." "Yes, you can say I wanted an opinion on the period or something." "Well, there's no doubt about that, sir... the present." "What?" "No, thank you." "Oh, yes." "The Greene chap." "Was that it he said?" "Eat the fruits of life, scatter the rinds... and get copped doing it." "Yeah." "Well, there's Elderson for you." "Except he didn't get copped." "That sort never do." "There's no justice." "Well, Michael, I must go." "My regards to Fleur and thank her for me, will you, for an excellent dinner?" "Of course, Bart." "Well, Forsyte," "I expect you'd like me to break this news to fontenoy?" "Yes, if you would." "He'll want the board to decide about calling the shareholders, but if you insist, they'll do it." "Well, in that case, I shall have to insist." "Good night." "Good night." "What about a cab,Bart?" "No, thanks." "I'll pick one up." "Thank you." "Thank you." "Well, good night." "Good night, Bart." "Does your father realize the position we might be in?" "Probably." "He's pretty bright, real though he doesn't approve of showing it." "Of course, if the shareholders come down on us hard... they won't get much out of poor old Bart." "All he's got is land." "Most of that's mortgaged or entailed." "I dare say." "My own assets are only too easy to realize." "So I've come to a decision." "I'm going to settle another 50,000 on fleur and the child." "But, sir, should you?" "What else would I do with it?" "As long as I know she's all right, they can take all I've got." "It can't come to that, sir." "Probably not, but we have to be prepared for the worst." "I shall want you to come down to the office next week." "Whatever you say." "Then I shall go to bed now." "There'll be a storm, I shouldn't wonder." "Sir?" "Is Fleur's mother still living in Paris?" "I believe so." "Why?" "Well, forgive me, sir, but shouldn't she be here?" "No." "Well, in that case, I wonder, would you mind if I asked mrs." "Dartie?" "I mean, when Fleur's time comes... she and Fleur get on well together..." "I see." "You think she should have another woman about?" "Well, yes." "Well... you may be right." "I would never have thought to mention it myself, but...yes, I'm glad you brought it up." "Yes." "Good night." "Good night, sir, and thank you." "Fleur!" "Fleur, my darling, it's all right." "All right, darling, all right." "Michael, I was..." "I was dreaming." "All right." "It was horrible." "All right, my darling." "Oh, Michael." "Where's Ting?" "He's under the bed, I bet." "Oh, look, do you want him up?" "No, no." "He hates thunder." "I never liked it much myself, and now it hurts." "Oh, darling." "Shh." "I wish it were all over." "It will be soon." "Come on." "Back into bed." "There you are." "If I come through, I'm going to be quite different to you." "Come through?" "Of course you'll come through." "Oh..." "I'm afraid." "You mustn't be, darling." "You mustn'T." "Look, sweetheart, you'll probably know nothing about it." "This twilight sleep thing..." "I shan't have it if it's not good for him." "I mean, is it?" "Everybody says it is." "What makes you think it's not safe?" "Only that it isn't natural." "I want to do it properly." "Who's that?" "It's probably your father." "All right, darling." "Is she all right?" "Yes, yes." "Don't worry." "All this rumpus... she oughtn't be alone." "She won't be." "Well, call me if there's anything." "Yes, I will." "Every way in every day I'm getting better and better." "No." "Every day in every way, I'm getting better and better... every day in every way, I'm getting better and better." "Better and better... oh, balderdash and bunkum!" "Aunt, dear." "Should you?" "Before luncheon?" "No, perhaps not." "But I do enjoy the mixing up part and the shaking." "Now, you see, dear, this thing is called a shaker, so what do they call the person who does it?" "The shakee?" "Yes... what are you concocting?" "A ragger-jagger." "A what?" "It's oxford slang for rum jar." "You know, like the prince of wales." "Oh, yes, the pragger wagger, and a wagger-pagger-bagger." "Is a wastepaper basket." "Exactly." "Oh, now, let me see." "Yes, I think it ought to be cooked." "Now, would you try one?" "Oh, of course." "Will you be seeing uncle Soames?" "Yes, dear." "Why?" "Well, you know old cousin George left his three race horses to Val in his will?" "Yes, and 12,000 pounds to a very dubious lady indeed." "It should have been the other way around." "Here we are." "Golly." "Yes, well, you see, dear, the ingredients should be quite carefully measured." "Let's have some sherry instead." "Now, what about those horses?" "Well..." "Val doesn't want to take them." "Why not?" "Gift horse in the mouth, you know." "Val says they're about 500 years old." "Two are broken-winded, and the other falls down if you look at it." "Poor thing." "And he says that by the time he's paid legacy duty, boxed them off to a sale and sold them, he'll be out of pocket." "Dear me." "Well, couldn't he put them out to grass or whatever it is?" "Val says they'll die of exposure and old age and he doesn't want them on his conscience." "No, I should think not." "So he wants to know whether he can write and say he's not rich enough to take them." "Well, I'll ask Soames." "I shall be seeing him and Fleur." "Oh." "Now, you don't like her, do you?" "Not much." "And Michael?" "Well, I think so." "I don't really know him." "He's a dear." "He called in this morning." "He asked me if I'd go and stay at south square during Fleur's confinement." "And shall you?" "Oh, yes, dear." "Aunts have to make themselves useful." "But I wanted to know if you and Val would come up and look after the house for me." "Have some evenings out, theaters and so on." "Well, I'd love to, but... well, Val." "Yes, he hates town, doesn't he?" "So unlike his poor father." "When will it be, aunt, Fleur's baby?" "In about 10 days' time then let me know when you want me." "Good health." "Bung ho." "Thank you." "Mr. Michael Mont, I think." "I've been expecting you." "Mr. Forsyte won't be long." "Is the mrs." "Michael well, I hope?" "Thanks." "As well as..." "yes." "It makes you anxious." "Take a seat." "Thank you." "Perhaps you'd like to read the draft." "Oh, thank you very much." "It seems to mean something." "Eh?" "What's that?" "Calculating what might happen if something else doesn'T." "It must be rather like being a bookmaker." "We don't waste our time here." "You'll excuse me." "Ah, Michael." "Hello, sir." "I've asked your father to meet us here." "We can go on to the shareholder's meeting together." "Oh, have you read that?" "Well, I... understand it?" "Up to a point, I think." "Now... the interest on this 50,000 is Fleur's until her eldest child, if it's a boy, attains the age of 21." "Then the capital becomes his absolutely." "Lucky little chap." "If it's a girl, half the interest is Fleur'S." "The other half is paid to the girl at 21, or when she marries, if earlier, and the capital of that half goes to her child or children, lawfully begotten, at majority or marriage, in equal shares." "The other half of the capital falls into fleur's estate and can be disposed by her will." "You make it wonderfully clear." "Now wait." "If fleur has no children... no children!" "Anything is possible." "And in my experience, the contingencies not provided for are those which usually happen." "In such a case, the income is fleur's for life, and the capital hers at death to do with what she likes with." "Well, ought she to make a fresh will?" "Gradman, bring me the deed, will you?" "Yes." "Not unless she wants to." "Now, get bellman in." "You and he can witness." "This meeting this afternoon, I don't know, but anything can happen, but whatever happens, this deed should stand." "It's very good of you, sir." "We'll take it down to the bank on the way." "I've asked the trustees to meet us there." "Remember them?" "Cousins of Fleur's, I think." "Second cousins." "Young Roger's eldest and young Nicholas' son... very young Nicholas." "What about his son, sir?" "Very, very young Nicholas would sound almost insulting." "Hm." "What are you going to call yours?" "If it's a boy, Christopher." "If it's a girl, Anne." "Yes, very neat." "I'm afraid I got in wrong with your clerk, sir." "Gradman?" "Well, accidentally, I called him a bookmaker." "Huh." "Yes." "Oh, he's a character." "There aren't many of them left." "I don't know." "Here's another one." "Ah." "Yes." "Morning, Forsyte." "Nice place, this." "Cool." "Hello, Bart." "This is a post-nuptial settlement on my daughter." "I deliver this as my act and deed." "Are you ready, Bart?" "Ready for the guillotine?" "That white piping will show the blood." "Old Fontenoy will feel it if things go wrong." "It's a rum show, isn't it?" "How titles still work." "I mean... there can't be any belief in their business capacity." "Character?" "That's still important?" "No, Bart. Shareholders' complex." "Their parents showed them a lord when they were young." "Bart, I should like to be with you." "They won't let you in." "No?" "Certainly not." "What papers are sure not to be represented?" ""Country life". "Horse and hound"." ""Gardener's weekly"." "Well, I'll slide in on them." "Well, Michael," "I hope you'll see us die game." "Are you telling the meeting that mr." "Elderson took bribes?" "Unlawful commission." "Surely, that's the same thing!" "And are you saying that it was known to the board over five months ago, four whole months before Elderson absconded?" "And if this is the case, may I ask why the board failed to take immediate action?" "Because, mr." "Botterill, the board as a whole was not informed." "Not informed?" "Why was the board not informed?" "It first came to the attention of mr." "Forsyte, one of your directors." "I think it best that he gives you his own account." "As you know, the clerk, Butterfield, reported to me what he had overheard." "There was not proof, no corroboration of his story." "It was his unsupported word against that of mr." "Elderson, a man of considerable reputation and authority." "Miss Sawdry?" "Surely, but... wouldn't it have been in order to inform the board?" "Perhaps you are unaware, madam, that such a course could have led to criminal proceedings." "But surely, would you not have been privileged?" "As between members of the board, perhaps, but any leakage would have made us liable." "However, I did inform sir Lawrence Mont." "And did sir Lawrence agree to keep it all dark?" "You must understand, sir, that mr." "Elderson had enjoyed our confidence for many years." "There had been no possible reason to doubt him." "I preferred to wait and see." "What does the chairman say to that?" "We're all perfectly satisfied with the attitude of our co-directors in a very delicate situation." "Well, I'm not, I can tell you." "If you'd acted quicker, we might have got that money back from him." "As you support the action, or should I say, inaction, of these two directors, it's clear the board as a whole is responsible for allowing a suspected person to remain as manager." "Hear, hear!" "The policy of foreign insurance was initiated by Elderson for his own ends." "We have made a severe loss by it." "The question, therefore, for the shareholders, is clearly this:" "Can we any longer trust this board to conduct our affairs?" "No." "It's a serious matter, this, gentlemen." "I propose that the board withdraw and leave us to discuss it." "Hear, hear!" "If that is your wish, gentlemen, we shall be happy to comply with it." "Will those in favor of the motion hold up their hands?" "Carried." "Now, ladies and gentlemen, ladies and gentlemen, please." "As shareholders, we must protect ourselves, and from what we've just heard, I think there's only one way to do that." "In the first place, the board ought never to have touched anything to do with the germans." "In the second place, I say they showed bad judgment." "In my opinion, we should propose a vote of no confidence." "No!" "If you'll forgive my saying so, sir, your proposal seems to be a very rough-and-ready justice." "I should be interested to know how you would have handled the situation if you had been on the board." "It is extremely easy to condemn other people." "It's all very well in cases of this sort to blame a directorate, but speaking as a director myself," "I would like to know whom one is to trust if not one's manager." "Oh, that's a point there." "As to the policy of foreign insurance, we have had that before us at two general meetings, and we have pocketed the profits from it for nearly two years." "Have we said one voice against it?" "No." "I differ from the last speaker in his diagnosis of the case." "When a government makes a bad mistake of judgment, the electorate turns against it as soon as it feels the effects." "Call it rough-and-ready justice if you like, but it's the lesser of two evils," "and it's a sound check on administration." "The same goes for a board of directors." "It backs its judgment." "When it loses, it should pay." "ladies and gentlemen, I have proposed a vote of no confidence." "Will anyone second it?" "I do believe we are going too far, and I think we should compromise." "The directors that knew about the manager ought to go, but I think we should stop at that." "We're wasting time." "In business, you've got to trust somebody, and we've had no cause mistrust the board so far." "It's the same for them as far as I can see." "They had no previous reason to mistrust elderson." "It wouldn't be right to pass a vote of no confidence at this stage, not behind their backs." "Let's hear what assurances they can give us against this sort of thing happening again." "Have them in, by all means." "Pass a vote of no confidence to their faces for all I care, but there's one point nobody's touched on." "How far, if we do turn them out, could we make them liable for this loss?" "I'm not a lawyer, so I don't know the answer, but I should have thought there was a good sporting chance if we liked to take it." "But if we don't turn them out it's obvious we can't take it even if we wish to." "Yes." "Let them in." "Very well, ladies and gentlemen." "We'll have them in." "Yeah." "Fetch them in." "Would you come in, please,gentlemen?" "Well, ladies and gentlemen, we await your pleasure." "To put it shortly, mr." "Chairman, we're not satisfied." "No." "But before we take any resolution, we want to hear what you've got to say." "We wish to know, sir, what guarantee we have against anything of this kind happening in the future." "In the in the nature of things, sir, none whatever." "You can hardly suppose that had we had known our manager was not worthy of our confidence" "we would have continued him in the post for one moment." "That won't do.He's gone back on himself." "Yes." "They'll spot it." "That's just the point." "Two of you did know." "Yet there was this fellow for months afterwards, playing his own hand and cheating the society for all he was worth." "You have admitted collective responsibility." "You said that you were perfectly satisfied with the attitude of your co-directors in the matter." "Perhaps you would answer that point." "Allow me a word." "Speaking for myself," "I find it impossible to accept the generous attempt of the chairman to shoulder a responsibility which clearly rests upon me." "If I made an error of judgment in not disclosing our suspicions," "I must pay the penalty." "And I think it will clear the situation if I tender my resignation to this meeting." "Well, I, apparently, am the other incriminated director." "Yes." "I'm not conscious of having done anything but my duty." "I am confident i made no mistake of judgment, and I consider it entirely unjust that I should be penalized." "I have had worries and anxieties enough without being made a scapegoat by shareholders who accepted this policy without a murmur and are now angry because they have made a loss by it." "You owe it to me that the policy has been dropped." "You owe it t that you no longer have a fraudulent person as a manager, and you owe it to me that you were called together to pass judgment on this matter." "I have no intention whatever of singing small, but there is another aspect to this affair." "I don't propose to go on giving my services to people who do not value them." "I have no patience for the attitude displayed here this afternoon." "If anyone here thinks he has a grievance against me, let him bring an action." "I shall be happy to carry it to the house of lords if necessary." "I have been familiar with the city all my life, and I have not been in the habit of meeting with suspicion and ingratitude." "If this is an instance of present manners," "I have been familiar with the city long enough." "Mr. Chairman, I do not tender my resignation to this meeting." "I resign." "Hello, ting, old boy." "What's the matter?" "Oh, sir." "Coaker, what is it?" "Mrs. Mont, sir." "She's started." "What?" "When?" "Three hours ago now." "Mrs. Dartie's with her, and the doctor." "Oh, god!" "There you are, dear boy." "Now, you mustn't worry." "Everything's perfectly normal." "Normal?" "But it's 10 days too soon." "But that's absolutely splendid." "It's so much better than being late, you know." "The doctor thinks it might have been that thunderstorm." "It was most helpful." "And that is normal too." "Now, go downstairs like a sensible man." "I suggest you have a drink." "What?" "But when will it all be over?" "Not very long." "She's behaving beautifully." "Yes, she would." "Perhaps you might like to telephone my brother?" "He'd like to be told." "Yes, of course." "Run along then,dear." "There's nothing you can do here." "I'm quite well aware of that." "Thanks, aunt winifred." "I mean, for being here." "This thing... there's something chinese about it." "I wasn't expecting you back, mr." "Soames." "I was off early." "My wife's got a little party." "So I see." "I came in to ask you to draw up my resignation from the Forsyte trusts." "No, mr." "Soames." "You'd never... keep me in timothy's, but the rest can go." "Young roger can look after them." "He's got nothing else to do." "Dear me." "Well, they won't like it." "Well, they must lump it." "I want a rest." "Then I shan't see you so often." "There's never anything in Timothy'S." "I'm quite upset." "Won't you keep mrs." "Dartie's?" "Oh." "Well, yes." "Keep me in hers." "I shall be in about my own affairs." "Yes?" "Mr. Mont, sir." "For you." "Will you hold on?" "Hello?" "What did you say?" "What?" "!" "Yes, I'll be right about." "It's all right, Coaker." "I'll get it." "Well?" "No, not yet, sir." "Mrs. Dartie's with her." "She's being a brick." "Everything's going very well, apparently." "Good." "Won't you come in?" "Would you like a peg?" "I've got some brandy here." "Oh, yes, yes." "Anything." "Thank you." "That was some speech of yours this afternoon." "You certainly gave it to them between the eyes." "Yes." "Did it do the trick?" "Not half." "When I left, they were passing a vote of confidence in the board." "They would." "Well, it was all your doing, sir." "Very gallant, if I may say so." "Nothing of the sort." "I lost my temper." "What about your father?" "Oh, he pressed his resignation." "It was quite unnecessary." "Yes, so I told him." "He'll miss the fees." "It's hard going, sir.I'm sorry." "It's all over... and it's all quite marvelous." "Michael, you've got a son." "I'll take him now, mrs." "Mont, shall I?" "Oh, just a moment, nurse, please." "I want..." "Michael!" "I want Ting-a-ling to see him." "There's no telling him any fancy stories about the stork." "I'm afraid it's time for our sleep now, mr." "Mont." "Oh." "Well... thank you, nurse." "All right?" "Yes, I am now, but it was... oh, it was like being held down, Michael... months of not being yourself." "Well, the process is a bit behind the times." "Well, it's over." "Has anybody called?" "Everybody." "Really?" "Yes!" "Alison, Brenda..." "Bart, of course." "Aubrey... and Holly Dartie's downstairs now." "Well, aunt Winifred said last night you wanted to see her." "Yes, I did say something." "I can't think why." "Now, Michael, about godparents..." "Alison, of course, but what about men?" "I had a letter from Wilfrid Desert yesterday." "Where is he?" "In Arabia." "Fleur, would you like him?" "He's staying there, but I could hold a sponge for him in church." "Is he all right again?" "He says so." "Well, wilfrid, if you'd like that." "Yes." "That'll be Holly." "Hello." "Is it all right, Michael?" "Can I come in?" "Yes, of course." "Come in." "Hello, Fleur." "Congratulations." "Oh, thank you." "Would you like to see Christopher?" ""Kit" for short." "Very much." "Oh, thank you." "Well, just go straight in." "The nursery's next door." "Oh, but Holly... yes, Fleur?" "You were against me, weren't you, three years ago?" "Well, I... yes, yes, you were." "And it was... well, it was hard for me to forgive." "But I'm sort of starting all over again." "Shake hands?" "Well, of course." "Now, tell me." "What's the news of Jon?" "He's in North Carolina growing peaches." "Oh... farmer Jon." "And I rather think he's met a girl." "Oh, what's her name?" "Anne Wilmot." "Is she nice?" "I hope she is." "Jon deserves a nice girl." "Here is a Forsyte." "Jon Forsyte, the young man whom Fleur once loved." "June Forsyte called him "her little brother", and talked of a family feud." "Thank the lord for the feud, say I, and for South carolina." "Three thousand miles from London, as the crow can't fly." "This is a good piano." "Does Anne play?" "Yes she does, but not as well as you, mrs." "Forsyte, ma'am." "Were you ever a professional?" "Nearly." "A long time ago." "How do you keep it tuned?" "There's a little old man, a german, who travels all over this section in an ancient flivver." "He tunes all the pianos between Charleston and Augusta, Georgia." "Are there many?" "They're pretty scattered about, I guess." "Anyway, he stays over a couple of nights and we have some fine music." "He plays well?" "Pretty good." "Schubert." "Brahms." "Mendelssohn." "German stuff mostly." "We like it." "So do I." "Sherry, ma'am?" "Thank you." "We feed him up, give him his $10.00, and send him on his way." "Southern hospitality." "I've noticed." "Well, ma'am, when you're as isolated as we are, in a big country, why, it's only natural to welcome strangers." "As you welcomed me." "You and your sister have been so kind." "It's been a pleasure to have you here, ma'am." "Mr. Wilmot..." "Francis." "I did ask you." "Yes." "Yes,so you did." "Francis... when Jon came back three months ago and told me how he'd met you two in Camden and that you'd asked him to stay here, I won't deny that I was curious about you." "Curious?" "A young man and his even younger sister living alone in a romantic southern mansion." "A decaying southern mansion." "Picturesque was Jon's word for it." "It would be." "Can you wonder that I was curious?" "Because you're a mother, ma'am?" "With an only son?" "You're rather shrewd, aren't you?" "I don't think so." "But ever since our parents died..." "When was that?" "Nine years ago." "They were drowned." "What?" "In "The Lusitania"." "Coming home from Europe." "Remember "The Lusitania"?" "Who could forget?" "So you were left alone with a sister and a mansion and a cotton plantation." "No other relations?" "None nearer than California, and that's a long ways away." "How old were you?" "Seventeen." "Anne was eleven." "And you looked after her." "At first." "And now she looks after me." "And forgive mrs." "Forsyte, ma'am," "I don't want to see her hurt." "Hurt?" "Is there any danger of that?" "It's possible." "You see, I think she's in love with Jon." "Really in love?" "I guess so." "Has she said that she is?" "Well, no." "Anne doesn't say much." "I've noticed that." "It's very refreshing." "But it shows." "At least it does to me." "Now, I've nothing against Jon." "I like him." "I'm glad to hear it." "But you can't make a man love a girl unless he's so inclined." "Or vice versa." "What?" "Or vice versa." "Oh, sure." "But Jon... there's a doubt in my mind." "A doubt about Jon?" "Don't get me wrong." "He's straight." "I'm convinced of that." "But if he loves her, and I think he does, why doesn't he say something?" "I get the feeling... and I may be way off, that there's something holding him back." "Something?" "Or someone, perhaps?" "Well, ma'am?" "It's not me." "I promise you that." "But if you thought it might be, I shouldn't find the suggestion impertinent." "The world's full of possessive mothers." "I'm not one of them." "Forgive me, but does Jon understand that?" "Yes, he does." "Well, then." "I see that I must tell you something." "You see, three years ago," "Jon, in England, had a bitter experience." "I'd like to hear..." "I won't give you the details." "It's all in the past now." "But he was badly hurt at the time." "And when you are really hurt, Francis, you're seldom in a hurry to repeat the experience." "I see that, but if Jon and Anne love... may I suggest that we just give them time?" "By the way, shouldn't they be back from their ride?" "It's getting late." "You're right." "It's a quarter to 6:00." "Now that's not good." "If they lose the trail." "Surely, horses always know their way home." "Not these two, they came in from Camden yesterday." "I gave them to Jon and Anne to try out." "Francis... you're not..." "you're not really worried?" "No." "They'll be all right." "I'm pretty sure we're on the wrong trail." "Yes, I've thought so for some time." "We're too far to the west, I think." "You sure of that, Jon?" "Not in the least." "We're lost." "What fun." "Well, it's no joke in these woods." "Don't they ever end?" "I guess not." "Your brother's going to be pretty sick with me." "I promised him I'd take care of you." "Well, you are taking care of me." "Don't be upset." "This is an adventure." "Look, the moon comes up in about two hours." "There's no sense in riding on until we can see." "Over there, Jon, in that clearing, isn't that the indian mound we passed coming out?" "Either that one or another." "We'll get some shelter there until moonrise right." "Well, I'll tether the horses." "It's going to be cold." "Jon, here." "Where are you?" "Down here." "Ah." "Dry as a bone." "Good." "Yes, it is." "Here." "Oh, thanks." "Let's see if we can get them alight." "All right." "There." "Splendid." "You must be cold." "Look here, have my coat." "You do that, and I'll run out into those woods and get really lost." "You know, I'd be scared on my own." "Seems kind of spooky here." "Spirits of the old indians." "What tribes hereabouts?" "Oh, seminoles,mostly." "But these mounds were built by much older people." "Nobody knows who they were." "All dead and gone." "Well I don't believe in spooks." "You would if you'd had a colored nanny." "Did you have one?" "Surely." "Her voice was as soft as soft as mush melon." "She used to tell me stories that made my hair stand on end." ""Like quills upon the fretful porpentine."" "Exactly." "Do you mind?" "I've got the creeps down the back." "Of course not." "It's only the wind getting up." "No... it's the spooks." "Am I too heavy?" "Not at all." ""Not at all."" "English." "Do you know?" "You're the first english person I've ever met." "You disappointed?" "Not at all." "I'd love to see England." "Our folks came over from there, 1700." "Worcestershire." "Where's that?" "It's pronounced Worcestershire." "Worcestershire?" "Worcestershire." "Worcest... it's our... well, it's our "middle west," really." "But as unlike yours as you could ever imagine." "No, it's... it's fruit-growing country, mostly." "Very pretty." "White houses, black-timbered." "Pastures." "Orchards." "Green hills." "With the light changing on them as the high clouds go by." "Sounds wonderful." "How could you ever leave?" "What made you come to America?" "I went to British columbia first, but I didn't get on too well." "Then I heard of peaches in North carolina." "And how are the peaches in North carolina?" "Oh, they're fine." "That's more than I can say for cotton in South carolina." "But you haven't told me." "Why did you leave England?" "Partly because I wanted to see the world." "And partly for... well... for family reasons." "They were important at the time... but not anymore." "Anne?" "Are you awake?" "Mm-hm." "Hey." "The moon." "I know." "Look, I'm in charge of you." "Come on." "Anne, look over there." "That funny old tree, like a witch." "Remember passing it on the way out?" "We are on the right trail." "Yes, Jon." "General election!" "Parliament dissolved!" "General election!" "Parliament dissolved!" "General election!" "Parliament dissolved!" "General election!" "This is London calling," "Here is the first general news bulletin copyright by Reuter press association, exchange telegraph and central news." "The government were defeated in the House of commons last night." "This morning, the prime minister, mr." "Ramsay macdonald, had an audience of the king and asked his majesty to dissolve parliament." "It was a pretty dramatic moment..." "The size of the final majority against the government came as a surprise to all parties." "Well Blythe, that's that." "Baldwin's in, and this time he'll get a thumping majority." "One expects so." "But what he'll do with it is..." "You'll be standing again, Michael, of course." "Oh, I'm not so sure, Bart..." "I've been eating the country's bread for six months now, and I haven't opened my mouth except to chew." "On my advice, sir Lawrence." "If one is going to put foggartism over in parliament..." "Put what over?" "Foggartism, Bart. Foggartism?" "Yes." "Sir James Foggart, you know." "I'm sorry, I don'T." "He wrote a book, "The powerless state of England"." "Danby and winter, 25 shillings." "Nobody's ever read it." "Except Blythe and me." "Danby only published because old Foggart stumped up for it himself." "It came out four months after I left the firm and abandoned publishing forever." "What is the thesis?" "Well, his eyes are fixed on 1944 and his policies according." "Disarmament if possible, but he doesn't believe it'll work." "Well, and who does?" "Right." "So we must keep a strong air force." "He says we're going to need it." "And a good deal before 1944, if one is any judge." "Then the land." "We must subsidize agriculture." "Heresy!" "Yes, but common sense too, Bart." "Look, we're an island, growing 1/5 of our food." "We could grow 3/4." "In another war, what with submarines, we may have to." "By then it'll be too late." "Fascinating." "Continue." "Child emigration." "I beg your pardon?" "Take the kids out of the gutters and slums and send them abroad to populate the dominions:" "Australia." "Canada." "New zealand." "South africa." "Build a healthy population hungry for our goods all over the empire, and in 20 years... in short, suffer a worse present, for the sake of a better future." "Exactly." "Now do you really think that the electors give a tinker's curse about the future?" "Look, Bart, they care about this ghastly unemployment, as we all do." "Foggartism can cure it." "You'd have to prove it, and they won't let you." "No political party would face an increase in taxation." "Too unpopular." "One can only try, sir Lawrence." "No." "Eat your cake and have it." "That's the slogan that wins elections." "Oh, by the way, Michael, you stood as a tory last time, what do they think of this, uh, remarkable policy?" "And what about your constituents?" "Will they fall for it?" "Mid-bucks, sir Lawrence." "Agricultural district." "You see, bart, I thought if I stood as an independent, I could... you'd lose your deposit." "What does Fleur think?" "She likes you being an M.P." "And she keeps her ear to the ground." "Ah, our charming lady." "Well, she says go in as a tory." "And then disagree with everybody." "Bring up foggartism if I want to in my maiden speech, set them all by the ears." "Hm, shrewd." "One endorses that." "By the way, Blythe, you coming to her evening on wednesday?" "Certainly." "Good." "I'm sorry you can't come, Bart." "Oh, lord, I better go." "By the way, Fleur also suggested I should take up some eccentricity." "Like wearing a monocle." "Indeed?" "Yes." ""No go" I said." "After all, it never did you any good, did it?" "No, because I am not a politician." "But what sir Austen Chamberlain would have done without his" "I shudder to think, eh, Blythe?" "Hm." "It's the prettiest room i ever was in." "What a perfectly charming thing to overhear." "Mrs. Mont?" "It used to be chinese, but I like this better." "So Jon married your sister." "Is she pretty?" "Yes, she is." "Very?" "Yes indeed, ma'am." "And do you approve?" "oh, I sure do." "Young Jon's a pretty fine fella." "And Anne..." "I'm glad." "Do come and sit down." "Holly tells me you've been staying in Sussex with them." "Oh, I was." "I aim to go back, but I had to see London" "Of course." "And you must come and stay here." "Why, no.That'd be..." "nonsense." "Be as free as you like." "Consider us a hotel." "That's real good of you." "I've never been on this side before." "They got through the war too soon." "Lucky for you." "You must meet our son, christopher." "Kit for short." "How old is he?" "Just over a year." "Michael will be in directly." "He's in parliament, you know." "You might even like to hear a debate." "Oh, I should admire to." "I don't know, the decor's amusing, but it's usually a bore." "No worse than congress, I reckon." "No." "Tell me, what's Jon like now, still english?" "Well, he sounds like it to me." "And his mother?" "She used to be beautiful." "And is so to this day." "She would be." "You don't like her?" "I only hope she isn't jealous of your sister." "Isn't that, perhaps, just a little bit unjust?" "Yes, I think perhaps it is." "If you really mean to have me here..." "of course." "I better go collect my baggage." "Do that." "Dinner's at 8:00, and your room will be ready." "Wonderful." "I was getting kind of homesick." "I'm not accustomed to big cities." "See you later, ma'am." "Oh, there you are, Soames." "We don't want to be late." "There's plenty of time." "Yes, I've ordered a taxi." "Good." "Have you seen this?" "What is it?" "It's the "chiff-chaff"column." "It's gossip, you know?" "Yes, rubbish." "Written by housemaids for housemaids." "Oh, no, dear." "It's malicious sometimes, yes." "But it's quite well-informed." "Oh, no." "For instance: "A surprise for the next parliament" ""is being confected at the wednesday gatherings" ""of a young hostess not a hundred miles from westminster." ""Her husband, a prospective baronet lately connected with literature..."" "What's that?" "They mean michael, of course." "And Fleur." ""..." "Is to be entrusted with the launching of a policy" ""which enjoys the peculiar label of foggartism." ""Well, we shall see." ""But in the meantime, the enterprising little lady in question "" "is losing no chance of building up her salon on the curiosity which ever surrounds any buccaneering in politics."" "Give me that." "There you are." "Who writes this stuff?" "Well, it's anonymous, of course." ""Enterprising little lady."" "You know, I wouldn't be at all surprised if this isn't actionable." "Oh, rubbish, Soames." "It's silly gossip, that's all." "We shall see." "Yes." "Well, there's one thing clear anyway." "They got a traitor in their camp." "Hm. "Buccaneering"?" "Whoever wrote that comes to your house as a guest." "Who is he?" "Well, it's most likely a she." "You mean to say women write such stuff?" "And they print it?" "You're behind the times, sir." "And a very good thing too." "Will they tell me who it is, if I go down and ask them?" "No!" "But..." "fortunately." "How do you mean "fortunately"?" "Well look, sir, the press is a sensitive plant." "You might make it curl up." "Besides, they're always saying nice things that aren't deserved." "You mean we have to sit down under this?" "To lie down, I'm afraid, sir." "Oh, yes, I'm sure that's wise." "It's so much better to take no notice." "Oh, Fleur has a party this evening?" "Yes." "They start coming about 10:00." "I shall stay." "If I may." "Keep my eyes open." "May I stay too?" "Hello, everybody." "Sorry I'm late." "Michael, I didn't know you were in." "Hello, darling." "Shouldn't you go and change?" "Dinner's in 20 minutes." "Oh, we have another guest." "Oh, who?" "A young american called Francis Wilmot." "He arrived on the Mauretania last week." "I've asked him to stay." "Wilmot?" "Jon Forsyte married his sister." "I told you, darling." "Well, that's delightful." "Well, where is the... good evening." "Come and be introduced." "This is my aunt, mrs." "Dartie." "Val's mother." "Francis Wilmot." "How do you do?" "Mrs. Dartie." "Holly wrote me about you." "And my father, mr." "Forsyte." "How are you, sir?" "And this is my husband, Michael." "Francis Wilmot." "Very kind of you and mrs." "Mont to invite me." "Not at all." "Well, I must go and change." "Ring for sherry, would you, Fleur?" "Now, mr." "Wilmot, you must tell me what you think of Wansdon." "Do you care for horses?" "Yes, well, of course you do, coming from the deep south." "Or am I thinking of the wild west?" "Evening, Coaker.Evening, madam." "How now, Coaker?" "Are you well?" "Thank you, sir." "Just full enough, I should say, and not too full." "Shall we go well, Aubrey, dear, now we're here." "Well, come along then." "Oh, what a place to hang a picture." "You can't get back far enough to see it!" "Don't you agree, Coaker?" "It's not my place to say, mr." "Greene." "Because I painted the damn thing." "Bad luck." "Aubrey, dear, do stop admiring yourself." "I want, well, to think that wonderful body is somewhere in Australia." "It's a crime." "A shame." "Shall I announce you, sir?" "No, don't bother." "We'll just float in like the wild, wandering spirit that we are." "Come, Marjorie." "Michael!" "Fleur!" "Splendid." "Aubrey!" "Marjorie!" "Hello." "How are you?" "He's gorgeously brown, isn't he, Michael?" "Yes, he is." "And Marjorie just looks gorgeous, as usual." "Thank you, Michael." "Miss ferrar!" "Well, how was Italy?" "A revelation." "My spirits sank, getting back here." "But this cheers me up no end." "How sweet of you to ask me, Fleur." "We've missed you terribly." "He's been away ages." "Two months." "I missed all the drama." "You'll have to tell me about Ramsay mac and the liberal scuttle." "Of course." "But first, you must have a drink." "Thank you." "Ah, there we are." "There." "Michael." "Keep an eye on Francis." "He's looking left-out." "Very well." "Aubrey, come and meet an american friend of ours, mr." "Francis Wilmot." "Francis, this is Aubrey Greene, who painted that delicious naked girl in the hall." "I must congratulate you, sir." "It's a beautiful painting." "Thank you for calling it a painting." "You don't mean to tell me it's a reproduction." "No, indeed, I was slightly pleased with it when I did it." "Good lord, Audrey.Aren't you now?" "I'm less sure." "Wilmot's the first to call it a painting for a long time." "What on earth are you talking about?" "I'll tell you, dear boy." "To most people it's just a "delicious naked girl."" "But Victorine was much more." "If I only went skin-deep, then I failed." "I should have painted her 20 times, but the stupid little one went off to australia with her husband." "Aubrey?" "I ask you." "Excuse me." "You certainly know some interesting people." "Yes." "And some damned dull ones too." "I haven't got a drink yet." "Let's see if we can find a way to get some champagne." "Ah, thank you." "Isn't the little Mont amusing?" "Just look at her now!" "Oh, who's that with her?" "Don Fernando, darling." "You'd think he was her only joy." "Ah, there's young bashly." "Off she goes." "Oh, she does it pretty well." "Rubbish, Aubrey." "It's a rotten performance by any standards." "Oh?" "I thought you were impressed." "She's a born little snob." "She really thinks she's making a "salon."" "And isn't she?" "Oh, lord, no." "To form a "salon" you need personality, wit and the don't-give-a-damn spirit." "But Fleur, she hasn't got a scrap." "Besides, who is she?" "Money." "Not so very much." "Michael's such dead nuts on her he's getting dull." "Oh, so that's it?" "I imagined it was parliament." "Have you heard this foggartism stuff they're talking?" "Yes, all food, children and the future." "The very dregs of dullness." "Ah, it's the vice of our life." "One does resent a nobody like her climbing in on this sort of piffle." "But she's using it." "Anything to get a leg up the social ladder." "Poor Michael." "She's exploiting him quite ruthlessly." "Who's that old buffer?" "Oh, good god, I didn't know he was there." "That's Fleur's father." "Michael." "Who's the young woman with the red hair?" "Who, Marjorie Ferrar?" "She's the traitoress." "Turn her out!" "But she's the daughter of lord charles..." "Turn her out!" "We know her quite well." "How do you know she's the traitoress?" "I've just heard her us the very words of the paragraph, and worse." "But she's our guest." "Hm." "Pretty guest." "No, sir!" "You can't turn out a guest!" "Besides, she's the granddaughter of a marquis." "Cause a devil of a scandal, sir." "Then cause it." "Look, sir." "We won't ask her again." "But I'm afraid that's all we can do." "Is it?" "Soames!" "It's really true." "Madam." "Madam!" "You were good enough to call my daughter a snob in her own house." "You are a traitoress." "Be so good as to withdraw." "That'll do, sir." "This isn't a peace conference." "I don't know this person, but he's a liar." "No, ma'am." "That he is not." "Sorry, Michael." "Michael, my dear..." "It's best." "Dear, boy... oh, no." "The old boy's gone too far this time." "Madame Carelli is going to play!" "Well, that is delightful." "Scarlatti, I hope." "Now don't you simply adore Scarlatti?" "Yes, ma'am." "Yes, I knew you would." "This is going to be a feast." "Tibby, sit yourself down." "All right, Coaker." "Granddaughter of a marquis, is she?" "Who's she, I'd like to know, to give herself airs?" "Aristocrats." "I wouldn't cross the road to talk to the duke of Bermondsey." "If Fleur wants..." "yes, sir." "Fleur." "Well, if Fleur wants to have people along in the evening to amuse herself, why shouldn't she?" "Don't you realize what you've done, sir?" "A snob and a nobody, is she?" "We'll see about that." "Yes, sir." "I'm afraid we shall." "What's that?" "Well, I got rid of that red-haired cat for you anyway." "Good riddance." "Now you know where you stand." "Storm in a tea cup." "Buck up, darling." "If you aren't one, what does it matter?" "Who cares what one is?" "It's what one's labeled." "Well, we've labeled her a "traitoress."" "As if that makes it any better." "We all talk behind each other's backs." "Who minds well, how can I go on when everybody is snickering:" ""Fleur Mont, the little lion-hunting snob."" "She'll cry it out all over London, just out of revenge." "Oh, how can I have any more evenings?" "Never mind what people say, fleur." "Sooner or later, one's got to face that anyway." "It's you who aren't facing it." "If one isn't thought nice, one can't be nice." "Look, only the people who really know one matter, you know." "Nobody knows one." "The fonder they the less it matters what they think." "God, I hate her!" "And if I can hurt her, I will." "Yes." "Well, shall we sleep on it, hm?" "I said I shan't have any more evenings, but I shall." "Good." "That's the spirit." "No." "Oh, thank you." "Ah, mr." "Wilmot." "The last survivors of a stricken field." "That was... oh, well, ma'am." "Don't distress yourself, young man." "This was a particularly dramatic evening." "But society isn't like that every night." "Worse luck." "That girl... who, Marjorie Ferrar?" "They tell me she's as fast as they're made." "Sit yourself down." "Her father, you know, owned the horse that didn't beat the french horse in the something or other stakes at... where was it now?" "Let me see, uh..." "Newmarket." "I thought she was the most wonderful girl i've ever seen." "Excuse me, ma'am." "Your taxi's here, madam." "Hm?" "Oh, thank you, Coaker." "Most wonderful." "Well, good gracious me." "Mr. Forsyte, I presume?" "You made use of an insulting word to my daughter last night in the presence of several people." "Yes." "It was richly deserved." "You were not drunk then?" "Not at all." "I have the names of those who overheard it." "You will be good enough to write to each of them separately, and withdraw your expression unreservedly." "I'll do nothing of the sort." "You're an attorney, I believe?" "A solicitor." "Then you know the consequences of refusal." "If your daughter wishes to go into court, I shall meet her there." "You refuse to withdraw?" "Absolutely." "Good day, then." "Good day." "Ah." "Quick action, I see." "Charlie Ferrar was always a thruster." "Tell me about him." "What's his standing?" "He owes money everywhere, has some useful horses, and is a very good shot." "Well, he didn't strike me as a gentleman." "And his daughter is no lady." "Single-minded, Forsyte." "Single-minded." "But you're right." "There's a queer streak in that blood." "His father, the old marquis of Shropshire's a dear old man, skipped his generation." "But it's there." "It's there." "He called me an attorney." "His daughter called me a liar." "which is worse." "She may, uh... she may bring an action, Forsyte." "It was very public." "What evidence have you?" "My own ears." "Oh." "Anything else?" "That paragraph in the papers." "She may get at the paper, and they'll cover up for her." "Anything more?" "Well, that chap she was talking to." "It was Aubrey Greene, Bart. The painter." "Oh, that man." "He's a nice chap." "In fact, I like him, but... well, he's an old chum of Marjorie'S." "That american heard something." "He must have done." "Wilmot?" "Yes." "He intervened when she called me a liar." "Better take care she doesn't get at him, Michael." "You say she called you a liar." "Why not take the offensive?" "What's her reputation?" "She's in a set, I suppose?" "Yes. "The panjoys"." "All right, they don't really count." "Yes." "Thank you." "Bring an action against a woman?" "No, it wouldn't do." "Quite right, Forsyte." "They have their privileges still." "There's nothing for it but to wait and see how the cat jumps." "Oh, so..." ""Traitoress."" "I suppose you know how much the word costs?" "It's not the cost." "It's the publicity." "I think I'll go and see old shropshire." "My father and his used to shoot woodcock together." "Will that help?" "Well, I don't know." "He's 80, has gout in the stomach, but he's as brisk as a bee." "Oh, well... it's worth trying." "I'll go now." "I don't want you to." "No, no, no." "The grass shall not grow, Forsyte." "Thank you, Bart." "What does fleur say?" "War." "What?" "To the knife." "Women." "No imagination." "Hello?" "Oh, it's you again." "No, there's no need." "I'll put it all in writing." "In fact, I have already done so." "Sorry to keep you waiting, young mont." "Do sit down." "Yes, if you adopt my scheme for electrification i guarantee a saving to your ratepayers of at least 3000 a year." "And what's you'll confer a benefit on the countryside by abolishing the smoke of four filthy chimneys." "What's that?" "He's obliged." "Yes, I should hope you would be obliged." "You'll have the whole scheme by tomorrow's post." "Goodbye." "Goodbye." "Now, my dear young Mont." "What can I do for you?" "I've come for your advice." "How can I advise you?" "Your granddaughter, sir, and my daughter-in-law want to fight like Billy-O." "Marjorie?" "Ho-ho-ho..." "I draw the line." "A charming young woman to look at, but I draw the line." "What's she done now?" "She's called my daughter-in-law a snob and a lion-hunter." "And my daughter-in-law's father has called your granddaughter a traitoress to her face." "Oh, bold man." "Who is he?" "His name is Forsyte." "Forsyte?" "Name's familiar." "Now where would that be, I wonder?" "Forsyte... ah." "Forsyte and Treffry, the big tea people." "My father had his tea from them direct." "Real caravan." "No such tea now." "Same family?" "Some relation, perhaps." "This man is a solicitor.Retired. Chiefly renowned for his pictures." "A man of some substance and probity." "And is his daughter a snob and a.." "what did you say?" "Lion-hunter." "Is she?" "She's a charmer." "Likes to have people about her." "Excellent little mother." "Some french blood." "Ah, the french." "Better built round the middle than our people." "Well, what do you want me to do?" "Speak to your son, Charles." "Can't." "I'm sorry, Mont." "I never speak to Charlie." "We haven't spoken for six years." "I'm sorry, sir." "I didn't know." "Sorry to have bothered you." "Oh, it's no bother." "It's a pleasure to see you." "What shall we do with these young women, Mont?" "No sense of service." "No continuity." "No figures." "No hair." "It's a problem, I agree, sir." "Goodbye, Marquis." "Goodbye, my dear young Mont." "Delighted to see you looking so well." "Command me at any time." "Oh, it occurs to me, if I should have occasion, if I should run across Marjorie, I'll see." "So you've found London disappointing?" "Why, no, ma'am." "On the contrary." "But you think Paris will be more fun." "Well, you know what they say about americans and Paris." "I thought that was only the yankees." "However, I'm sure you'll enjoy it." "Be sure to come and see us on your way home." "I sure will." "Mr. Wilmot is leaving us, father." "He's going to Paris." "You're just in time to say goodbye." "Ah, yes." "Well, uh..." "goodbye." "Oh, if you're interested in pictures, mr." "Wilmot, you should look in at the louvre." "I will." "It's been a privilege to know you, sir." "Oh?" "I'll be writing to jon from Paris." "I will surely send your love." "Thank you." "I'll be glad to have you and Michael come stay with me any time you come over." "It would be a treat to have you." "That would be very kind of you." "Thank you very much." "That was all very sudden." "He upset about something?" "Why did you make that fuss last night, hm?" "What good do you think you've done?" "I feel as though I can't look anyone in the face again." "But I'm going to, all the same." "If I'm a lion-hunter and a snob, I'll do it thoroughly." "But I only wish you wouldn't go on thinking I'm still a child and can't defend myself." "I'm sorry, I can't help it." "Everything's ruined." "There you are, sir." "Thank you very much." "Thanks." "Hello, mr." "Wilmot." "Oh, hello." "You know my name." "I asked that parlormaid." "She said you were staying with the Monts." "Oh, I was." "But I'm staying here for tonight." "I'm catching the boat train tomorrow morning." "for New york?" "Paris." "Then Florence and on to Rome." "Globetrotting." "Have you got room for me in your... what do you call it?" "Your "grip"?" "Joke, mr." "Wilmot." "Though now I come to think of it... ah, well." "You disapprove of me?" "Last night I did." "I know." "Why?" "You called your hostess a snob." "My dear if one never call one's friends anything worse than that..." "I didn't mean you to hear... or that pompous old person with the chin." "He's Fleur's father, and he was hurt." "Well, I'm sorry." "Anyway, I admire you for sticking up for him." "Thank you, ma'am." "But what else could a man do?" "I know dozens who wouldn't." "Don't you know my name?" "Or do you always call women "ma'am"?" "Certainly I know your name and where you live." "I was around there this morning." "Were you?" "What time?" "I was in." "About 5:30." "What?" "I couldn't sleep." "Kept thinking about you." "Well, I just wanted to be near you." "That's a pretty speech." "Come and have tea with me there tomorrow." "I got to be in Paris." "I shall expect you." "Now I must fly." "My hairdresser won't forgive me." "Tomorrow?" "Can you help me, please?" "I'd like to cancel some reservations." "I don't know how many more she wrote, of course, but I should have thought these two were enough." "May I see them please, miss ferrar?" "Thank you." "Now are these, uh... these two ladies, Sally, uh..." "Penrryn and Audrey Maltese." "Friends of yours?" "Yes." "And of mrs." "Mont?" "I don't know about "friends."" "Quite." ""Snake of the first water..." ""sneaks into one's house..." ""she hasn't a moral about her nor a decent impulse."" "Now, miss ferrar, when your fiancé asked me to come here... sir Alexander Macgown isn't my fiancé." "Oh?" "He lead me to believe..." "At the moment, it's completely unofficial." "I haven't made up my mind." "I understand." "Let us proceed then." "When sir Alexander asked me, as his solicitor, to look into this," "I understood it to be on the basis only of a spoken slander by a mr." "Forsyte." "But since then, these letters have been written by mrs." "Mont, and have come into your possession." "How did that happen, miss Ferrar?" "Mrs. Penrryn and mrs." "Maltese gave them to me." "Quite voluntary, of course." "Of course." "They thought I should know what was being written about me." "Quite so." "And now your intention, I take it, is to drop the slander action against Forsyte and to sue mrs." "Mont for libel?" "Yes, my father suggested that, and so did sir Alexander." "Then may I ask you some questions?" "What would you like me to tell you?" "The truth." "But naturally." "Tell me now, what actually occurred at mrs." "Mont's party?" "Well, I was just saying to mr." "Greene that mrs." "Mont was very eager to form a salon, and didn't have the right qualities." "Mr. Forsyte overheard and thought I was insulting her." "Is that all?" "I may have said she was fond of lions, and so she is." "Yes, but, uh... why did he call you a traitoress?" "Because she was my hostess, I suppose." "Mr. Greene confirm you in this?" "Aubrey?" "Lord, yes." "He's in my pocket." "Did anybody else overhear?" "No." "What about an american?" "He won't say so anyway." "An admirer?" "No." "He's going away." "Now then you want a written apology from mrs." "Mont and whatever you can get, I suppose." "Yes." "The more the better." "You're hard up?" "Couldn't well be harder." "I see." "But you don't want to bring it into court, I take it?" "No, not really." "And sir Alexander feels..." "As a member of parliament, he would find it... but he'd back me up if it does." "I'm fully aware of that." "Personally, I think it might be rather fun." "That depends on the number of skeletons you have in your cupboard." "I shall put everything into your hands." "Oh, the letters should be sufficient, miss ferrar." "And she is a little snob, you know." "Did you happen to use that word?" "No, I'm pretty sure i didn't." "It does make a difference." "Are you quite sure?" "Not quite." "Forsyte says you did." "Well, I told him he was a liar." "Did you indeed?" "And they heard you?" "Rather." "That could be important." "I don't think he'll go into court and say I called her a snob." "That's very shrewd, miss Ferrar." "Thank you." "Yes, I think we shall do..." "I think we shall do very well." "We'll serve a writ for libel and see what happens." "Goodbye." "Goodbye, mr." "Settlewhite."