"The eton and harrow match at lord'ket ground." "The resurrection, after four years of war, of england's pride and glory... or to put it more shortly, the top hat." "Not all forsytes, by a long chalk, have been to either school, but they attend the festival if they can because it reassures them to see so many people like themselves." "The game itself matters to some extent." "The loyalties are divided and emotion runs high." "But tradition is the thing, and tradition is best expressed in terms of..." "lunch." "What reserves of power there are in the british realm." "Enough pigeons, lobsters, salmon mayonnaise, strawberries and champagne to feed the 10,000 here today." "And no miracle." "Maclaren made 424 for lancashire." "I doubt if anyone will ever beat that, though, mind you, there's a very good young australian." "Ponsford, they call him." "Hello, sir." "Enjoying the game?" " No." "Can't blame you." "They don't get their noses down to it these days." "Are you expecting someone else, mama?" " Darling, prosper said he might come, but he's so busy with his yacht." "I'm a small bit late, mrs." "Dartie." "So sorry." "How do you do, mrs." "Cardigan?" "How do you do, young mrs." "Dartie?" "Gentlemen?" "So pleasant, the english aristocrats at play." "Madam... bonjour, prosper." "What about the belgian aristocrats?" " Don't they play?" "Certainly they do, but not cricket." "Europeans don't go out of their way to bore each other." "Oh, english are not bored, annette." "Go out of their way to appear so." "Excellent." "But what about" " the english girls?" " There's a great change in them since the war, you know." "Do you mean in their morals?" " Oh, they are as moral as they ever were, but now they have the opportunity." "Really, prosper." "You become more cynical every day." "What do you say, mrs." "Forsyte?" "Don't you think human nature is always the same?" "Human nature in england is not the same as anywhere else." "Well, I don't know so much about this small country, but I should say the pot was boiling everywhere." "We all want pleasure, and we always did." "Excuse me." "It's stuffy in here." "Soames, dear, are you all right?" " Yes, thank you." "These luncheons..." "it's too much on a hot day." "Yes." "Oh, I wish we were back 40 years." "It's been very amusing after all." "Sometimes I even wish monty was back." "What do you think of people nowadays?" " Precious little style." "Oh, I don't know." "Look at that hat." "I wonder what's coming." "I'm not at all sure we shan't go back to crinolines and peg-tops." "No." "There's money, but little faith in things." "Is that chap really going to the south seas?" " Prosper?" "Mm." "One never knows with prosper." "He's a sign of the times, if you like." "Very well." "I shall tell him this evening." "Look, prosper, that woman." "I'm sure I've seen her before somewhere." "She has much elegance." "Not english, I think." "Who is she?" " I don't know, but I have a feeling that soames does." "Shall we go and sit down, jo, or have you seen enough?" " Oh, enough for today," "I think, my love." "It isn't fun anymore." "My father used to come with me before you were born." "And later, didn't you bring jolly?" "Ah, yes." "He was at harrow." "So whenever some disaster befell my side, instead of cheering his head off, he used to say, "bad luck, sir."" "He was an amiable sort of chap." "Jo looks older, a lot older." "Now he always had style." "She doesn't change." "No." "Winifred, why didn't fleur me with you today?" " I came up here especially to meet her." "She'll be home with you this evening, dear." "She said there was something she had to think out." "Soames, she knows the whole story." "What?" "You didn't tell her... of course not." "She found out." "I always knew she would." "So she'll be seeing that boy." "What do you intend to do?" "Do?" "What can I do?" "Wait upon events." "That's all I can do." "Hello, jon." "Hello, fleur." "Jon, I want to talk seriously." "What's happened?" "Jon, if you don't want to lose me, we must get married." "You mean now?" "At once?" "At o our people mean to stop us, yours and mine." "Well, they've said nothing to me." "Your mother's face was enough..." "and my father'S." "I just don't see how they can feel like that, even if your father and my mother were engaged... after all these years?" "Perhaps you don't love me enough." "You know I do." "Then make sure of me." "Without telling them?" " Not till after." "It would hurt mother terribly." "You've got to choose." "I don't see why." "I mean, why not tell them?" " They can't stop us." "Well, yes, they can." "How?" "We're utterly dependent." "There'll be money pressures, all kinds of pressure." "Yes, but to deceive them..." "you couldn't really love me or you wouldn't hesitate." "Fleur... oh, jon." "It's just that... look, I've got it all planned out." "I've only got to go to scotland for 21 days." "I can stay at mary lamb's in edinburgh, and then you come up there, and all we have to do is declare ourselves married before two witnesses and we shall be married." "Don't you see?" " People always accept a fait accompli." "It's so simple." "Oh, yes." "Yes, I'm sure it can be done." "All my life, they've been so good to me." "Fleur, we must give them time to get used to the idea." "It won't help." "I tell you, jon, it won'T." "So... you'd better just let me go." "No." "I shan't do that." "I expect you're right, but I must just have time to think." "It's only that... oh, jon, I don't want to lose you." "You can't as long as you want me." "I can, and I will." "I swear to you, jon... that if we wait, we'll lose each other." "Fleur, do you know anything you haven't told me?" "No, nothing." "My darling." "My darling, beloved jon, please make sure of me." "We must make sure." "Promise me." "Please, promise me, jon." "No, not now." "You know I want to, more than anything in the whole world." "It's like hitting them." "You don't love me." "You don'T." "You couldn't love me, or you'd agree." "I never believed you'd be so cruel to me." "Will you have some tea, please?" "No, thank you." "I'm just leaving." "No tea?" " Oh, a little cup?" "It's ready." "No, no, thank you." "No." "A cigarette, perhaps?" "No." "May I... excuse me." "Could I leave this with you?" "Lawks, mr." "Soames, sir." "Cook let me in." "How is he, smither?" "Oh, very well in himself, sir, but these last few days, he has been talking a great deal." "Only this morning, he said," ""my brother, james, he's getting old."" "Well, his mind wanders, you see, and then he will go on about them." "Has he said anything important?" " No, not really, mr." "Soames." "Oh, but he has turned against his will." "He won't look at it." "Well, it seems funny when he's had it out every day all these years." "Uncle timothy," "I've come to see that everything's all right." "Have you got everything you want?" "No." "Can I get you anything?" "No." "Oh, thank you." "It's soames, james' boy." "Is there nothing you want to tell me?" "You tell them all from me... tell jolyon, roger, and nicholas... tell them all to hold on." "Hold o do you hear?" "Consols are going up." "Yes, I'll tell them, uncle." "Yes." "That fly... proper marvel, isn't he, sir?" " Yes." "The other day, he said, "they want my money", he said." "Well, it gave me such a turn, sir." ""Oh, I'm sure, mr." "Timothy", I said," ""nobody wants your money." "My dear mistress"," "I said..." "that was miss ann, that trained me..." ""well", I said, "miss ann never talked about money." It was all character with her." "Yes, indeed it was." "So he looked at me and he said, very dry-like," ""nobody wants my character", he said." "Fancy him saying a thing like that, sir." "Yes." "Thank you, smither." "You and cook, we're all indebted to you." "Oh, no, mr." "Soames." "Don't say that." "He's such a wonderful man." "Yes." "Well, goodbye, and let me know if there's anything." "Hello, mother." "Hello, fleur." "How was the cricket?" "I've no idea, but I saw some dreadful frocks." "I can imagine." "Did father come back with you?" "No." "He left immediately after lunch, and you didn't come at all." "We're not exactly a united family, are we?" "About the same as most," "I expect." "Mr. Mont, madam." "Good evening, michael." "How do you do?" "The maid said that fleur was... yes." "Well, I called earlier, but they told me you were all up at lord'S." "Some of us were." "Who won?" "My dear boy..." "yes, sorry." "It's stupid of me." "I don't care either." "Michael, let me give you some advice." "What?" "Yes, of course." "Fleur confides nothing to me, and why should she?" "But I think she's going through a bad time." "Now, what will happen," "I don't know, but I advise you, be patient." "One day, she may need someone to turn to, so if you are there that day, it may be you." "Thanks." "Oh, I'll be there." "I'm notoriously dogged." "Meantime, you'll find her out there." "Thank you." "Is fleur home?" "She is, safe and sound, so you may breathe easily." "Where is she?" " At this moment, I think she is being proposed to." "Young mont?" "Who else?" "Soames... hm?" " I've decided to go to paris... oh?" "To stay with my mother." "Your mother?" " Yes." "When are you going?" "On monday." "For how long?" "I don't know." "Will you need any money?" "Thank you." "I have enough." "Let us know when you're coming back." "Shall I give mama any message?" "Certainly." "My regards." "What luck, soames." "What luck that you've never loved me." "Fleur, it's not that I'm trying to rush you or anything." "No, you'd better not." "But my dearest girl..." "I'm not your dearest girl." "Indeed you are." "You are my dearest girl whether you like it or not." "Fleur, love you." "Yes, perhaps you do." "And I'm sorry." "Sorry?" "Yes, but that's no reason for my letting you go on and on about it." "Change the record, michael." "You're in a groove." "Don't be modern, fleur." "You aren't really like that." "No?" "Don't laugh at me." "It hurts like the devil." "Now, look, what do you expect me to do?" " Fold my hands and say," ""I'm deeply honored by your proposal, mr." "Mont, but my affections are engaged elsewhere?"" "Are they?" "That's my affair." "I see." "Also-ran michael mont?" "But I shan't give up, you know." "Then come back when I know I can't get my wish." "What is your wish, fleur?" " Good night, michael." "Good night." "Oh, here you are." "Has young mont...?" " He's gone." "He's a trier." "I'll say that for him." "All this philandering... well, didn't you, at his age?" "No, we worked." "We didn't gather about, motoring and flying and... perhaps you had a grand passion." "Yes, if you must know." "Much good it did me." "Tell me about it." "Why?" " Is she alive?" "And married?" " Yes." "It's jon's mother, isn't it?" " And she was your first wife." "I don't want to be reminded." "I don't want to talk about it." "It's extremely painful." "People can't understand." "Grand passion... nobody knows what it means." "I do." "What?" "Perhaps I've inherited it for her son." "That's lunacy." "Don't be angry, father." "Lunacy!" "I can't help it." "You don't know what you're doing." "Has that boy been told?" "Not yet." "That chap's son." "It's perverse." "You may think this is something i can arrange for you, but you're mistaken, I'm helpless." "Those two won't listen." "They hate me, as people always hate those they have injured." "But jon doesn't hate you." "He's her only son." "Probably means as much to her as you do to me." "It's a deadlock." "Never." "I won't accept that." "What do we care about the past?" " It's our lives, not yours or theirs." "Whose child are you?" "Whose child is he?" "The present is rooted in the past, the future in both." "There's no escaping it." "There's nothing in the way but sentiment." "Father, let's forget it all." "Oh, yes, that's easy to say." "Besides, you can't prevent us." "No, and if it were left to me," "I don't suppose i should try." "I've always given you what you wanted, but you must understand me..." "there's nothing I can do." "I don't believe you." "You can, daddy, you can, so you must." "Must?" "Look, let me get this clear to you, fleur." "You're my daughter, mine, my flesh and blood, and the reason why they won't let this marriage take place." "I'm the impediment." "Oh, what's the jargon...?" " The just cause and impediment." "Sherry, darling?" "Hm?" "No, no." "No, thank you, my love." "Not this evening." "Not this evening or any evening." "Jo... why don't you tell me about it?" "Tell you what?" "Very well, then." "I'll tell you." "While you were dressing this evening," "I telephoned dr." "Dewar." "He hummed and hawed, of course, but I got it out of him." "Hmm." "It would take more than old dewar to resist you, and he must be 80 if he's a day." "You know, darling, some of these aren't too bad." "What about a retrospective show one day?" " You've known about this heart trouble for six months." "Have I?" " Since before we went to spain." "Jo, how could you let us go knowing how I should suffer if... anything happened to you?" "My dearest one," "I've had 20 years of happiness, more than I bargained for, more than I deserved." "No." "Oh, yes." "But I hadn't reckoned on this." "We're a long-lived race, we forsytes." "My father, 86." "Uncle james, 90." "Old timothy, still going strong at 100." "There isn't much the matter with me." "I have to be careful, that's all, not too much exertion." "But you didn't tell me." "No, my love." "We're all under sentence of death." "I've just had a clearer warning than most." "You know, in all these years, there are only" "That long estrangement with my father..." "that's not your fault, jo." "No, perhaps not." "Not his, either." "He had principles, strong victorian principles." "And the other thing?" "My time with you has been all too short." "Two lifetimes wouldn't have been enough." "Don't leave us, jo." "Don't leave us." "Oh, I don't intend to, my darling." "We need you, jon and I." "We both need you." "I shall hold on." "I promise." "I shall hold on as long as I can." "Morning, jon." "Morning." "Kippers or buttered eggs or both?" " Yes, thank you." "I saw father while you were away." "He worried me a bit." "Oh?" "Why?" " I don't think he's very well." "Of course, he'd never admit it." "He really is the most unselfish person." "He never interferes, yet he always seems to understand." "I think he's been an absolutely perfect father." "Don't you?" " Yes." "Coffee?" " Thank you." "I'll never forget during the boer war when I was engaged to val... he and jolly were out in south africa, and june was going as a nurse, and then I asked father if I could go too." "I know he was wretched at the idea, but he never lifted a finger to stop me." "That was before he and mother were married, wasn't it?" "Oh, about a year before, yes." "Why?" "Oh, nothing." "Before that, wasn't she engaged to fleur's father?" "I know there was something, but, of course, we were out there." "We didn't get any of the news." "Yes, but you've been back a long time now, haven't you?" "Why does everyone treat me like a child?" " Do you think I don't know there's something, something that i ought to know?" " Fleur told me that... have you seen her?" " Yesterday." "I know she's awfully attractive, but you know, jon, val and I don't like her very much." "Why not?" "We think she's got rather a "having" nature." "Having?" "I don't know what you mean." "Don't be angry, jon." "We can't all see people in the same light." "Then you shouldn't say things about them." "Holly, I'm going home." "Today?" " Yes." "Now." "I'm going to tell dad and mother that I want to marry fleur." "Marry?" "But, jon... no." "I've made up my mind." "You said dad never interferes." "Well, that's true, and my mother's the same, unselfish and generous, but they haven't been open with me about this." "No one has." "Well, because of that, perhaps i haven't been, either, but I'm going to be now, and then we'll see." "When they know how I feel, they won't want to stop me." "Does fleur know about this?" "I wrote to her last night and posted it at the station." "She'll get it this afternoon." "Well?" "It's so well, darling." "I don't see how it could be better." "Is there anything you'd like me to leave out?" "No." "He must know everything if he's to understand." "Perhaps I should tear it all up and start all over again, just say that you hated soames?" "Hate is only a word." "It conveys nothing." "No, better as it is." "I'll post it today." "Jo, why did you decide this?" "Last night, after dinner, while you were playing," "I came in here." "Yes, I know." "I sat down over there in my father's old chair." "I've been worrying about this business, how we've let it drag on month after month." "My doing, jo." "Partly, but mine too." "I've always believed in going my own way, quietly if possible, and letting other people go theirs." "That's one of the reasons why I love you so much." "Yes, but it can also be weakness." "My darling, as I was sitting in that chair, suddenly I..." "I thought I heard the old boy speak to me, firm and resolute as he always was." "What did he say to you?" ""Are you facing it, jo?" " "It's your past." "Your wife." "Your son." ""It's for you to decide." "You." "She's only a woman."" "I don't know." "I may have dreamed the whole thing." "All I know is the decision had to be made." "It's probably the last major decision i shall ever have to make." "I'm glad now i've faced up to it." "Will you forgive me?" "Jon!" "Jon... my... where did you spring from?" "Didn't you go to wansdon?" " Yes, but I came back because I want to tell you something." "What is it, jon?" " Fleur and I are engaged." "Don't you mean that you would like to be?" " No." "We are." "Have you spoken to her father?" " No, not yet." "I wanted to tell you first." "Jon, you're not yet 20." "I'm 72." "How can we understand each other over a thing like this?" " I know both of you are against fleur." "We've never said so." "Exactly." "But it's true, isn't it?" " Yes." "But you won't say why." "Fleur says it's because you were once engaged to her father." "Is that what they told her?" "No." "She found out." "But if that's all, it's ages ago." "Dad, you and mother love each other." "You must know how we feel." "Do you think it's fair to let old quarrels spoil our happiness?" " Jon, I could probably put you off by saying that you're both too young to know your own minds, but you wouldn't listen." "Besides, it doesn't meet the case." "Unfortunately, youth cures itself." "So I've decided... jo, please." "Before you go on... jon, my darling, has your father ever given you cause to doubt his love for you or his word?" " No." "Of course not." "Then can't you trust him if he tells you...?" "Tells you this, jon:" "Marry fleur and your mother will be wretchedly unhappy to the end of her days." "Believe me, son, the past, whatever it was, can't be buried." "How can I believe that?" " Just because you say so?" "Fleur and I..." "I love her more than anything in the whole world." "More than your mother?" "I don't know." "I don't know!" "But to give fleur up for nothing, for something i don't understand, that you won't even talk about?" "Don't you see that if I do that, I'll feel..." "I know, I know." "You'll feel that we're unjust, that we insist on your trusting us and we won't trust y and this might put a barrier between us." "Yes, I'm sorry, mother." "Dear jon..." "I've been selfish about this." "I couldn't bear for you to think ill of me, but now... tell him, jo." "Tell him everything." "Sit down, jon." "If you hadn't come home today, you'd have received this through the post tomorrow morning." "Do you want to read it?" " Or would you rather we talked about it?" " Just tell me, dad." "Very well." "I'll try, but I'm going to put you in the position of judging your own mother." "Judging for yourself what sort of a woman she's been." "Many years ago, she made a terrible and tragic mistake." "She was only 20." "Her parents were dead." "She had a stepmother closely related to jezebel who brought all kinds of influence to bear, and she was persuaded into a disastrous marriage." "Mother was married before?" "Yes, jon, to my cousin soames." "Fleur's father." "Oh, my god." "Fleur's father...?" "You'll have to face up to it, jon." "I'm afraid it's only the beginning." "To do him justice, it wasn't his fault." "He was deeply in love with her." "It was her fault she married him, her mistake." "Within a week of that marriage, she knew what a terrible mistake she had made." "For the next three years, your mother forced herself to do her duty, to submit to a man that she loathed, jon, and believe me, that isn't too strong a word." "Those years must have been torment for her." "Then suddenly, she met another man who fell in love with her." "Yes, you." "You were still married," "I suppose." "No, jon." "I wasn't the man." "Then who was?" " The architect of this house." "His name was philip bosinney, but your mother fell in love too, and remember, for the first time." "I need hardly tell you, jon, we don't precisely choose the person with whom we fall in love." "It just happens." "Yes." "Yes, it does." "I can imagine the struggle she went through." "She'd been strictly brought up." "Eventually, they loved in deed as well as in thought." "I suppose she thought that soames would divorce her, and she would be able to marry bosinney." "But he wouldn't let her go?" " No, it was worse than that," "I'm afraid." "What followed was a fearful tragedy, but I have to tell you about it, jon, if you are to understand the real situation that you've got to face." "Yes, dad." "At the height of her passion for philip bosinney, soames forsyte reasserted his rights over your mother... forcibly, jon." "Forcibly." "The next day, she met young bosinney and told him about it." "Within a few hours, he was dead." "Dead?" "How?" "He was run over in the street and killed instantly." "Did he...?" "No, I'm quite sure it was an accident." "I saw your mother again later that evening, but only for a second before soames slammed the door in my face, but I'll never forget how she looked." "I can see her now." "Is that when you fell in love with her?" " No, that was 11 years later." "She ran away from soames that night and never returned to him." "Thank god for that." "The only friend she had during this period was your grandfather." "He left her some money in his will." "When he died," "I became her trustee." "Soames never divorced her as he might have done." "He loved her, in his way, I suppose, and he held on." "He didn't try to get her back, did he?" "Oh, yes." "She was his property." "His property?" " That's the view he holds of life, jon." "It was also the law." "Soames began a long campaign to get your mother to return to him and give him a child." "But when the pressure became almost persecution, she came down here and placed herself under my protection." "Eventually, soames divorced her, and we were married, and you were born, and we've lived in perfect happiness ever since." "At least, I have." "And I think your mother has too." "Shortly afterwards, soames married fleur's mother, and she was born." "There you are, jon." "That's the story." "Is that everything?" "Yes, everything." "You can see now why we wished to spare you the knowledge of it?" "Yes." "Yes, dad, I understand." "But don't you see what follows, jon?" " Can you imagine what a nightmare it would be for you mother to see you married to the daughter of a man who possessed her like a slave?" "Who owned her like a slave, who ravished her... dad, don'T." "No more, please!" "Break away, jon." "You're on the threshold of life." "You're mother's 57." "Don't break her heart," "I appeal to you." "Lift up your spirit." "Break away." "I... jon, please." "Jon!" "Jon?" "Oh, my poor darling." "Well, father, I only hope you were right, that's all." "I only hope you were right." "So now you know it all, jon." "Yes." "What are you going to do?" "I don't know." "I don't know." "In marrying fleur's father, I did a dreadful thing." "A marriage like that plays havoc with so many lives." "Oh, I'd risk it." "I would, even now." "It's just that I can't bear to make you unhappy." "Don't think of me." "Think only of yourself." "Aah!" "Aah!" "Oh... what was that?" "Jo?" "I..." "I think he's dead." "Why wasn't I with you, jo?" "Oh, why wasn't I with you?" "No, I'm sorry, miss." "Why not?" " Look, I've come all the way from mapledurham." "If you could just come in and leave your name, please." "What is it?" "Has something happened?" " It's mr." "Forsyte, he... died two hours ago." "Well, I am sorry." "Would you tell mr." "Jon that I'll write?" "I am miss forsyte, miss fleur forsyte." "She's late, sir." "I shall have to go in a minute." "Have some sherry?" " Thank you, sir." "Thanks." "Cheers, mrs." "Dartie." "Cheers, mr." "Mont." "Well, have you started publishing yet?" " Rather." "Rum show, isn't it?" " Business, I mean." "Oh, in what way?" " Well, businessmen always offer less than they afford to give." "They ought to offer more and then work backwards." "Look, we offer an author good terms, so naturally, he accepts." "We go into it, we find we can't publish at a profit, and tell him so." "Well, he feels we've been gener so he calms down, and all is sweetness and light." "You try buying pictures on that system." "An offer accepted is a contract, or didn't you know that?" "Oh." "Tell me, mr." "Mont, are you a partner yet?" "Not for six months." "The rest of the family had better get ready to retire." "You'll see, sir." "There's going to be a big change." "The possessive principle has got its shutters up." "Nonsense." "Well, look at me." "Well, I'm to inherit the estate, but I don't want the thing." "I'd cut the entail tomorrow if I could." "That's because you're not married." "Do you really think that marriage..." "society is built on marriage, marriage and its consequences." "If you want to do away with that..." "oh, good lord, no." "I mean... no." "I shall have to think about that one, sir." "Yes." "Well, fleur is late." "I shall have to be going." "Will you tell her i'm sorry to miss her, sir?" " Yes." "Goodbye, mr." "Mont." "Nice to meet you again." "Goodbye, mrs." "Dartie." "Oh, that's all right, sir." "I know my way." "My bike's just outside the conservatory." "I rather approve of him." "Yes, he has some style." "Talks a great deal of rubbish, of course." "But then we all did at his age." "I didn'T." "Well, the boy's very sweet on fleur." "That's obvious, dear." "He's got some semblance of brains." "I may encourage it." "Yes, I should, if I were you." "Father never approved of the aristocracy, you know, but they do stand for something, even now." "Yes, well, I think i shall go and change, soames." "Ah, there you are." "Hello, aunt." "Your father's been worrying." "Though why he should, I don't know." "You drive very well." "See you at dinner, dear." "Well, here I am." "Driving out alone like this..." "where have you been?" "To robin hill." "Father, I've got something to tell you." "The family feud is over." "What have you done?" " Nothing." "Jon's father died this afternoon." "That chap... gone at last?" "He wasn't very old." "Don't you feel justice has been done now he's dead?" "I should like to have done him justice while he was alive." "I never had the chance." "Jon loved him, and so did holly, and so did... well, and so did june, so he must have been quite a likable person." "Yes." "I believe there was a superstition to that effect." "Darling, I've been thinking all the way back in the car." "It's really in your hands now." "Hm?" " Yes, you see, jon wants to marry me, and he will marry me if his mother consents, so it's really up to you." "You can persuade her." "I can't..." "oh, yes." "Tell her that it doesn't mean renewing the past in any way, that he need never see you and you need never see him or her." "Only you can persuade her because only you can promise that." "Don't you see?" " Go and see her, just once." "It can't be done." "It's preposterous." "Help me, daddy." "I'm de i don't know what I'll do if you don't agree." "I'll do anything for your happiness, but this isn't... it is, it is." "Oh, I love him, daddy." "You can do it." "I know you can do it." "Then you know more than I do." "We'll wait, jon and I. A year, two years, if you like." "You don't care what I feel." "I do, I do, I do." "Dad, you wouldn't want me to be utterly miserable." "You couldn't be happy if I were wretched." "Please... very well, then, very well." "I'll think it about it and see what I can do." "I can't go butting in there at a time like this." "Of course not." "But you will go?" "Now, promise me you'll go." "Yes, I'll go." "Oh, thank you." "You know you wouldn't mind seeing her, really." "Yes, martin." "What is it?" "It's mr." "Forsyte, ma'am." "Who?" "Mr. Soames forsyte." "He asked me to say he called concerning mr." "Jon." "Ask him to come in, please." "Yes, ma'am." "Mr. Forsyte, ma'am." "Martin, will you find mr." "Jon?" "He's probably in the studio." "Ask him to join us." "Very good, ma'am." "If this concerns jon, perhaps he ought to be here." "Yes." "I apologize for coming, but this business must be settled one way or the other." "Will you sit down?" "No, thank you." "I've no doubt this is as painful for you as it is for me." "My daughter begged me to come, and I've got into the habit of indulging her." "I suppose you're fond of your son." "Devotedly." "Well... it rests with jon." "It's a mad notion." "It is." "I suppose you thought they could have been... well, I'll make your mind easy." "If this marriage takes place, I don't want to see you or your son." "I promised fleur i'd tell you that." "What am I to say to her when I go back?" " Tell her what I have told you." "It rests with jon." "You don't oppose it?" "With all my heart, but I've said nothing against it, and I shall say nothing." "I remember... well, if this does lie in jon's hands, as you say, I suppose i may take it for granted that this unnatural marriage will take place." "There'll be formalities." "Who do I deal with?" "Herrings?" "Do you propose to live with them?" " No." "What about this house?" "It will be as jon wishes." "I built it for you." "If they marry, their children... do you believe in nemesis?" "Yes." "You do." "Well, I don't suppose i shall see you again." "Won't you shake hands and let the past die?" "Well, young man," "I've come here on behalf of my daughter." "The decision rests with you." "Your mother leaves it entirely in your hands." "I brought myself to come here for my daughter's sake." "Now, what am I to say to her when I go back?" "Tell fleur it's no good, please." "Jon!" "It's all right." "I must do as my father wished before he died." "If I... if I'd taken dad's word for it, and yours," "I think he'd still be alive." "Jon, my darling... it's all right, mother." "It's all right." "I should have seen him out." "Excuse me." "Mother, let's go to italy." "I should like that, of course, but I think you ought to go off by yourself for a while." "And leave you alone?" "I learned how to be alone a long time ago." "You ought to have a year at least." "Go and see the world." "Go at once, jon." "Yes, yes." "If I'm going, I suppose it had better be at once." "But mother, if I wanted to stay out america, perhaps... would you come out later?" "Wherever and whenever you send for me, but don't send unless you really want me." "England's too small." "I feel..." "I feel choky here." "It isn't true." "It can't be." "She got around you, she must have done." "Either that, or you didn't try." "Fleur... you couldn't have tried." "You betrayed me!" "I was a fool." "He couldn't just give me up, not like that." "Why did I ask you?" " Yes, why did you?" "I swallowed my pride, my own feelings, against my better judgment." "I did my best." "Do you swear it's the truth, that jon gave me up of his own accord?" "Yes!" "Don't let them hurt you, fleur." "They're not worth... what did you do?" " What could you have done to have made them hate you so?" " How can I ever forgive you?" "Who is it?" "Michael, old faithful, who else?" "Oh, michael!"