"My father-in-law was reassured by fleur's activity over the rest house, and her apparent devotion to the cause of slum conversion." "So he journeyed down to the west country." ""To have a look at his roots", as he put it." "But in spite of his possessive instinct where fleur was concerned, he quite failed to appreciate the subtleties of a feminine forsyte in the 20th century." "Peekaboo." "Where's the raphaelite?" "He's gone for his walk, but..." "ah, you're nearly finished." "Not bad, don't you think?" "Did you know that he's been painting me in the mornings?" " Box and cox, that's what we've been." "There." "Do you like it?" "Yes." "Hm." "Well, I'm not sure that I do." "But the dress is jolly, isn't it?" "They're your colors, gold and silver, and I like the bells." "They really do tinkle too." "Excuse me." "What are you looking for?" "It's my bag." "It's got my checkbook in it." "I shall need it this evening down at dorking." "Now, where on earth...?" "You left it on purpose, didn't you?" "Jon!" "Why on earth would I do a thing like that?" "I seem to remember you once dropped a handkerchief." "So you do remember things?" "So do I." "Come along, and I'll give you a lift as far as dorking." "No, thank come on, jon, you can get an earlier train from there." "Well, I won't bite you." "All right." "At least, not unless you provoke me." "Why do you go to dorking?" "Oh, didn't holly tell you?" " She should have." "I've started a rest house down there for working girls." "I'd love you to see it." "Mrs. Gadsden, I'd like you to meet my cousin, mr." "Forsyte." "Hello." "Pleased to meet you, sir." "Mrs. Gadsden does all the real work here, jon." "Oh, don't you believe it, sir." "Mrs. Mont's a wonder with them girls." "Nonsense." "I'm sure she is." "The whole place looks splendid." "Yes, but look what she spent..." "and so clean." "There, mrs." "Gadsden!" "Take a bow." "Why she bothers, I don't know." "A rich, young lady like her." "But there, sir." "Quite." "Isn't she a scream?" "There." "And here's my own little den, where I do all my accounts and pretend to be businesslike." "Fleur, you're a fraud." "Oh?" " Well, you make yourself out to be a social butterfly, but at heart... oh, jon, "at heart." Who knows what i am at heart?" " So you don't think i'm a butterfly?" " No." "You fly straight for things when you want to." "Like a crow?" "Like a very determined woman." "The raphaelite saw that." "He said so." "That young man talks far too much." "Excuse me." "Did he expound his theory that a woman must possess the soul of someone and men are content with bodies?" " Yes, he did, at great length." "Do you think it's true?" "Well, I hate to have to agree with him, but yes, in a way, I think it is." "Well, I can tell you something." "There are a great many women around these days who keep their own souls and are content with other people's bodies." "Are you one of them, fleur?" "No." "But I suppose i could become one." "I don't think so." "Because I'm too possessive?" " No." "Because..." "well, I think you only want to love, and to be loved." "Fleur, don'T." "You mustn'T." "I didn't mean to, jon." "I didn't mean to cry." "I'm not sentimental and soppy." "It's just that..." "oh, jon." "The first kind thing you've said to me since we've met again, the only real thing." "Yes, well, I shouldn't have said it." "But you should." "You should, because it's true." "It's just that..." "I couldn't bear it when you suddenly..." "fleur, we can't see each other again." "I tried to be good." "Not alone." "You know that." "But we must!" "You must let me see you..." "sometimes." "It's harmless, jon." "Truly it is." "I must see you now and then." "It's owed to me." "What about anne?" "Anne?" "Anne." "Shall you tell her you've been driving with me?" "Why not?" " She's uneasy about me, isn't she?" " Oh, you needn't answer." "Only, I think it's unfair of her." "I want so little, and you're so safe." "Safe!" "Dear jon." "Bless you." "Come along, and I'll drive you to the station." "And don't worry anne about me, I beseech you." "It's really quite unnecessary." "Now, this gravestone you found, 17...?" " Seventy-seven." "Seventy-seven, yes." "Now, that jolyon seems to have been born in 1710, oh, and in 1757, he didn't pay his tithes." "Oh." "So you see, mr." "Forsyte, there are a great many entries into the registers going right back to the beginning, 1580." "Yes." "Well, clearly it will take a long time to get a complete list." "Oh, yes, you see, it certainly will." "And I shall quite enjoy the task." "Now, there's another jolyon here, born in 1680, evidently the father." "Now, he was churchwarden from 1715, described as "yeomen of hays", and he married a bere." "A what?" " A bere." "How do you spell that?" " B-e-r-E." "Oh." "Well, perhaps you could send me the list then, including the bere entries." "Oh, yes, yes." "I will, certainly." "But, um... what... what would you consider reasonable?" "Hm?" "Oh, yes." "Well, shall we say... seven guineas?" "Oh." "That would be generous." "I'll just get the tithe map." "These old maps, they're useful sometimes." "Now, there's a field here marked great forsyte." "Oh." "Great, hm?" "Yes, 24 acres, near the sea." "Now, there was a ruined house, I remember." "Ah, yes." "There." "They took the stones away in the war, but it's still traceable." "Oh." "Um... oh, no, no, no." "Oh, really." "Too kind... too good." "Don't mention it." "Now, can I get down there by car?" "Oh, yes, yes, yes." "Round the head of the coomb." "I'll come with you and tell your man how to get there." "Oh, I'm obliged." "Hello, marta." "Good afternoon, sir." "Mr. Blade is awaiting you." "Good." "Thank you." "Ah, jon, there you are." "I hoped to see you." "Hello, june." "I believe fleur came back yesterday and gave you a lift." "My maid saw you leave." "Well?" " I told fleur this morning what I thought about it." "Oh, did you, indeed?" "Jon, it mustn't begin again." "She's spoiled, you know, and not to be trusted." "Look, you better leave fleur alone." "Excuse me." "I had to speak my mind, and this is my house." "Then I'd better stop coming." "Jon, don't be so silly." "Harold would be frightfully upset." "Oh, damn harold!" "Oh, no, dear." "I only meant that you and fleur mustn't meet here." "Did you tell fleur that?" "Yes." "What makes you think you can order people about?" " We're not children." "No?" " Did you tell anne you've been meeting?" " We have not been meeting... did you?" " No." "There, you see?" "Jon!" "Oh, you're so like grandfather." "He couldn't bear to be told anything." "Can you?" " Of course." "Then please don't interfere." "Sorry." "It's just that..." "well, I..." "I have to speak my mind." "I know." "Then you will stay?" " All right." "Get in, and I'll drive you down." "Oh, I don't know, fleur." "I suppose cousin june's been talking to you." "Well, yes, as a matter of fact, she has." "I thought she might." "Well," "I'm a reformed character." "Come on, get in." "All right." "Look, John through the trees." "Robin hill." "And over there, the copse." "You know, we're trespassing." "Are we?" "What fun." "Let's go down there, just for a moment." "Now your portrait's finished, I shan't see you again for ages." "Of course." "I feel as though we were back seven years." "Babes in the wood." "Innocents." "Do you wish we still were?" "There's no use looking back, fleur." "Things happen as they must." "Yes." "Yes, that's what I think too." "The old log, still here." "Isn't it wonderful?" "Nothing changes." "Nothing really changes." "So warm here, and dry." "I love the scent of draught." "I love the smell of rain." "You and I, jon." "We never love the same things, do we?" "And yet we loved each other." "The old clock." "Well, it's getting late." "Kiss me just once." "You know very well, fleur, that if I kissed you, it wouldn't be just once." "Then kiss me forever, no." "Yes, jon." "Things happen as they must." "You said so." "Fleur, don'T." "Oh, jon." "I can't stand it." "I don't want you to." "Oh, jon." "I've waited seven years." "Seven long years, jon." "But you were always mine at heart, and now you will be, completely." "Oh, take me, jon..." "fleur, not here." "Take me in your arms." "I can'T." "I claim you." "Jon." "My beloved jon." "I promise you." "No one shall ever know." "I must tell anne." "But jon!" "I must tell her." "You can't tell her unless I let you." "I don't let you." "You mean, we shall go on as lovers, secretly?" "When shall I see you again?" "Never." "Unless she knows, never." "My darling jon..." "no!" "Yes, jon." "Yes, of course." "I quite understand, jon, and I'll see you tomorrow." "Bye, darling." "It was jon." "Yes?" " He's decided to stay in town tonight." "Did he say why?" "Something to do with seeing a lawyer... mr." "Herring?" " Yes, jack herring." "First thing in the morning." "That sounds sensible." "The sooner that sale goes through, the better." "I guess so, but... is something wrong?" " No, no, nothing at all." "I think I'll go to bed." "Good night." "Hello?" "Yes." "I want to send a telegram." "Please." "Is anne upstairs?" "No, dear, no." "She drove into pullborough with val directly after breakfast well, this wire has just arrived, addressed to jon." "I didn't like to open it." "I think perhaps you should." "Yes?" "Mm." "Oh." "Then I will." ""Vitally important i see you at once." "Am at dorking." "Don't fail me."" "It's signed "F."" "Oh, there, mrs." "Mont." "I was just coming to find you." "Oh?" "You've got a visitor." "Oh." "Thank you, mrs." "Gadsden." "Well, I mustn't keep him waiting." "Yes, ma'am." "But... fleur, don't go." "I want to talk to you." "But, what's happened?" " You must have opened my telegram." "Is jon all right?" "As far as we know, jon's in london." "He didn't come home last night." "Then he can't have told you." "Do you know why he didn't come home?" " I believe so." "As to whether anne does or not, I can't tell." "But don't you think she might guess?" "I don't know." "I've no idea." "I don't... then perhaps I should tell you." "She isn't to be despised." "Is that what you came to tell me?" "No, fleur." "I came..." "I came to ask you to look at the future." "The future's already been arranged." "By you, or by you and jon together?" " If that were so, he'd be here with you." "No." "No, jon hasn't decided anything yet, because when he does, he sticks to it, and nothing will move him." "You know that of old, fleur." "But what have you arranged, hm?" "In your own mind?" " A secret love affair, until you both grow tired of it?" " Do you really think jon would agree to that?" " Transparent, decent jon, living with two women?" " And if he did agree, how long could it remain secret?" "Not one week." "And then?" " Would you live with him, openly?" " But you did, with his father." "Yes." "But I had nothing to lose." "No home." "No reputation." "No position in society." "But... above all, no child of my own." "And jon's father had no wife." "You had a husband." "My father." "Yes." "Yes, and I treated him very badly." "But I believe..." "I do most truly believe, that although I hurt him deeply, it is nothing compared to what you will make him suffer." "You have no right to say that." "How do you know?" " All my father wants for me is to be happy." "And I shall be, in spite of you all." "Without all those things you prize so much, including your son?" "Kit?" " You know if there's a divorce, the monts will claim him." "Fleur!" "I didn't come here to bully you, or to threaten." "Only to show you the future, and all the sacrifices you'll have to make." "Can you face them?" " Why does everybody keep talking to me about the future?" " What do we know about the future?" " Perhaps the future doesn't matter anyway." "Perhaps there won't be a future for any of us." "A lot of people think there won't be." "Well, we'll face that without kicking and screaming." "But one thing's certain, we'll get whatever..." "happiness we can whilst we're still young and alive, and if that doesn't work, we'll face that too." "But... jon loves me, and I love him." "If jon loves you..." "I've always loved him!" "He does!" "He does!" "He does love me!" "He proved that yesterday." "I see." "In that case, fleur,I must tell you something." "Fleur!" "Fleur!" "Good day, sir." "Good day to you." "I've come to call for my daughter, mrs." "Mont." "Oh." "Pity, sir." "She is not here." "Oh?" "Well, you mean she's gone home already?" " No, sir." "She did not come today for sitting." "Oh?" "Well, why?" "Not knowing, sir." "She have not sent any message." "Mr. Blade is very decomposed." "Hm?" "Oh, yes." "Well..." "is miss forsyte at home?" "Yes, ask her if she'll see me, will you?" " Please." "Thank you." "Well, soames?" "Well, june?" " I'm not sorry you came." "Oh?" " I take it you've called for fleur." "Yes." "When was she here last?" "Yesterday morning." "And that chap?" "When was he here last?" " Yesterday afternoon." "Oh." "Soames." "Hm?" " Fleur came back." "They went off together in her car." "I told her she was not to meet him here, and I told him the same." "She'd fetched him before?" "Yes." "I don't know how often." "What on earth possessed you to let him come here while she was sitting?" "I had to think of harold." "If I hadn't got jon before he started farming... it seems to me you've been quite... but if you think..." "it seems to me you've been quite irresponsible." "Now, have you any idea where fleur has gone?" " She said dorking." "Then something about mapledurham for the weekend." "Oh?" "Oh, I don't know." "I can't tell." "I've been expecting something like this." "I'd like to talk to michael." "Fleur may have gone home already." "As for this thing, I doubt if it will ever be finished." "Oh, no." "Oh, soames, really, I... mrs." "Forsyte to see you, madam." "June, dear." "I came up with holly to see if we could drive jon... excuse me." "A moment." "I think you should hear what I have to say." "No." "No, I'll hear nothing from you." "June." "Goodbye, soames." "Irene, I'm sorry." "I had no idea you were coming." "But then, I had no idea soames... it doesn't matter." "I don't know if jon will come today." "And what harold will say." "Oh, this business." "It's too ridiculous, all this emotion." "Weren't you emotional too, june, when we were all young?" "Yes." "I suppose I was." "Aren't you emotional still?" "Poor little fleur." "She'll get over it." "She was mistaken." "There will be a future." "It will happen." "And it's the only thing that matters." "Jon." "You're back." "I'm so glad." "Is your mother with you?" "No." "Why?" " She and holly went to london." "What for?" "To bring you back." "Holly rang from june's studio... from june's?" "You didn't go there?" "No." "I've been walking, for miles... and thinking." "Anne... jon." "I'm going to have a child." "Yes." "I didn't tell you before because I wanted to be sure." "Anne!" "No, wait a minute." "Something's happened between you and fleur." "Everything's happened, hasn't it?" "Yesterday?" "Last night?" "No, jon, don't explain." "But what does it mean?" "That depends on you." "On me?" "After what you've just told me." "Anne, why didn't you tell me sooner?" "!" "Yes." "I kept it to myself too long." "I was going to tell you yesterday, but you didn't come home." "I told your mother." "If only you'd told me." "It wouldn't have happened." "Oh, I don't know." "Fleur was determined to have you." "She'd have gone on." "You mean she tempted me?" "Mm." "Perhaps so." "Beyond endurance." "But today, up there, on the downs, walking for hours... anne..." "I know my own mind now." "You're my wife." "The only wife I want." "The question is... can you forgive me?" "I don't know, jon." "I just don't know." "No." "Don't you think... love is the most cruel thing in the world?" "Yes." "Oh, jon." "It's all right, darling, it's all right." "So I believe on the whole, we've started pretty well." "Thanks to montross and his 5000 of the best." "Well certainly, to begin with." "By the way, do you know what particular slums he came from originally?" " Warsaw?" "Budapest?" "Certainly not london." "Does it matter, bart?" "No, not a bit." "He's prepared to stump up to convert our slums." "Yes, indeed, and remarkable in its way." "But that's the advantage, you know, of keeping open house to the rest of the world." "Benefits accrue." "Think of d'israeli." "I will." "And you think of karl marx." "The unreadable prophet of the unspeakable?" " No, thank you." "You know, since the appeal went out, the fund really has grown." "It won't be long before hilary can buy another street." "Oh, bart." "One street in one city." "Do I detect a note of pessimism?" "This is not like you, michael." "And we've taken that first step." "Or is there something else on your mind?" "No." "Of course not." "Mm." "Well." "Give my love to fleur and kit." "Yes, I will." "And remember me to old forsyte." "You know, he sort of grows on one." "Shropshire's quite taken with him." "He's dated, and he can't express himself, but there's no humbug there." "An honest man." "I think that's about the sum of it." "And he's generous at heart, though he wouldn't want to be suspected of it." "Oh, he'd have a fit." "Well, so long, bart." "It was good of you to come round." "Hello?" "Yes, can you get me dorking 6, please?" "No, dorking." "With a d for "depression." Thank you." "Hello?" "Who?" " Oh, it's you again, mr." "Mont, sir." "No, sir." "Not a sign of her." "And here's me waiting to go through the weekly bills, and... what was that, sir?" "Oh, yes, yes, of course I will." "As soon as she comes in." "Goodbye, sir." "Goodbye." "Hello, michael." "Oh!" "Hello, sir." "Fleur home yet?" "No as a matter of fact, I just telephoned the rest house, but she went out early this morning, and... are you... expecting her home tonight?" "Yes." "There's something you want to tell me, sir." "I don't know anything for a fact, but... how much do you know about that old boy-and-girl affair?" "Pretty well all, I think." "Oh?" "What, from fleur?" " No." "No, she never mentioned it." "But your cousin, june... oh!" "That woman." "Well, I have reason to believe that she never completely got over it." "No?" "Would you like to know how I formed my opinion?" "No, sir." "Well, then, let's just wait... not "and see", sir!" "Anything but that." "I can wait... and not see." "Or I can have the whole thing out." "Oh, no, no." "There's everything against it." "I mean, she knows which side her bread is buttered..." "oh, sir!" "Yes, I know." "But everything depends on you keeping your head." "Well, you can't go abroad again, can you?" " Perhaps I'd better go this time." "Alone." "Oh, this won't do." "Michael, she... she has a strong affection for you." "Believe me, that's something you don't get in every marriage." "I know it, boy, I know it from bitter experience." "Oh... this business of fleur's, it... it's feverishness, if it's anything." "That's all it is, feverishness." "She always was a spoiled child, you know." "She gets something into her head... there's nothing in it." "Look, how far has it gone, sir?" " Oh, there you go!" "Nowhere, as far as I know." "Oh, they've met." "And I saw that for myself, at ascot." "Well, she..." "looked at him." "Did she indeed?" " Now, michael." "Now, there's always his wife." "She's an attractive little thing." "He's going to farm down there, they tell me." "How would it be if I took fleur to scotland for august...?" "No!" "Don't you see?" "It's no good putting things off." "It must go to a finish, one way or another." "Now, it's no good meeting trouble halfway." "Now, if you'll just take my advice..." "Hell yes?" "Fleur!" "Well, are you all right?" "No, not a bit worried." "Well, why should I sound...?" "Yes." "Yes." "He's here." "Do you want to speak to him?" " No." "All right." "Yes, that sounds very sensible." "Goodbye, darling." "Well?" "She's gone over to mapledurham." "Be there in time for dinner." "Oh." "Oh, well..." "that doesn't sound as if she's... would you like to come over?" " Thank you, no." "I'll... ring you up." "Yes, please do that." "You know... that rest house place of yours... it's a sound notion." "It's practical, it's not up in the air." "You know, those girls..." "I always feel they hate me." "Oh?" "Why shouldn't they?" " They have nothing, and I have... everything." "You know, I've been thinking about my pictures." "As you know, they're going to the nation." "The famous forsyte bequest." "Yes." "But with this craze for the moderns, the nation may not want them." "Mind you, I should want you to take your pick of them first." "Now, which are your favorites, hm?" " The little corot... or the constable, perhaps, or the stevens?" "Ah, well, the goya copy, hm?" " Vendimia." "Well, that's yours, in any case." "I'm sorry, daddy." "I've got a rotten headache." "I think I'll go upstairs." "You've had a long day." "Good night, my darling." "Fleur!" "Fleur, quick!" "Wake up!" "What?" "Quickly!" "What is it?" "Fire, in the art gallery." "Get kit and everyone out of the house at once." "At once!" "Call for riggs, and telephone for the engines from reading." "Now, quick!" "Get everybody out of the house at once." "Here." "Take this and get out at once." "Tell them to spread a blanket below the window and catch the pictures as I throw them out." "Yes, but dad, now please, let me help!" "No, no." "Get out, do you hear?" " Did you telephone?" "Yes, they're on their way." "Good." "Here, quickly." "Take one corner each." "Spread it out below that window." "I'll take kit." "Now, hold it tight." "Dad?" "Dad." "When I throw t take each one out before the next one comes." "Where' no, hold on, now." "There's no danger." "Ah, there you are." "Quick." "Up this way." "I must save the morland." "Spray the pictures on that wall." "Better go down, sir." "It's getting too thick." "They've arrived!" "Thank god." "We'd better go down." "No, come on." "I must have this one." "Now, give me a hand, it's heavy." "Right, jim, take that window on the right." "My father's still up there." "I'll go and fetch him." "You wait here, miss." "I'll fetch him down." "Hold it!" "Leave it." "Leave it, both of you." "Come on, then." "Take all the pictures over there." "Quickly." "Thank you." "Thank you." "I'm all right." "Better get on with it." "There's a lot more valuables..." "Right, sir." "We'll have it out in no time." "Let her go there!" "Fleur!" "In here, mr." "Gradman, if you please." "Thank you, miss smither." "I came down to be with poor mrs." "Dartie." "Really, I don't know what she's going to do if... if mr." "Soames... excuse me, sir." "Mr. Gradman, ma'am." "Mr. Gradman, such a comfort to see you." "You're the oldest friend we have." "Is it true, mrs." "Dartie, that he won't get better?" "They say there's no hope." "Oh, dear." "Oh, dear, dear." "But is he conscious?" "Oh, no." "They don't think he ever will be again." "Well, we must look on the bright side." "Mr. Soames is no age to speak of, and it's not as though he drank." "Well, perhaps he'll pull around." "I shall miss him." "He's the only one who... yes, yes." "Is mrs." "Forsyte here?" "She has been sent for, of course, from paris, you know, yes." "You know, I was wondering whether mrs." "Irene... she might care to send a message that bygones were bygones." "I don't know, mr." "Gradman." "I don't know." "Well, you know best." "But I shouldn't like him to go with anything on his conscience." "On her conscience, mr." "Gradman." "Well, in a case of forgiving, you never know." "I wanted to talk to him too about his steel shares." "They're not all they might be." "Well, I'm glad your father was spared this." "Mr. James would have taken on." "Well, it won't be the same world if mr." "Soames... may I send you in some tea, mr." "Gradman?" " I'm sure you'd like some, after your journey." "Thank you." "Yes." "Yes, I could relish a cup." "Good." "To think his father lived to be 90, and mr." "Soames always so careful." "Fleur." "Fleur, dear, you must have some rest." "No, no, I'm all right." "I insist, dear, yes." "You'll let me know... if anything...?" " At once, dear." "Now run along." "Go and lie down." "Nurse?" "Is there any change, nurse?" "No." "Michael." "Hello, darling." "I've just been talking to riggs." "He was telling me how wonderful your father was up there with "going at it", riggs said," ""like a proper champion." Please, michael." "Fleur." "He saved your life." "Michael, you must understand, it was my fault." "There was no need." "I saw the picture falling, and somehow I couldn't move." "Michael." "I didn't want to move." "Now he's going to die." "Because of me." "If he does, fleur... there's no better way to die." "Saving the one you love most." "No!" "You mustn't grieve too much." "Well, I suppose." "Oh, michael." "You mustn't worry about me." "I'm not worth it." "Yes, you see, val thought that" "his mother would be pleased to have him here, so we drove over." "Well, aunt freddie will be glad." "Holly, there's something i want to ask you." "Yes?" "Well, perhaps this isn't the time, but I must know." "What happened between your brother and fleur?" "I know what there was in the past." "But is there anything now?" "Michael." "I'm asking for her sake." "Whatever you say won't hurt anybody." "There has been something, yes." "But it's over, michael." "Over for good." "It ended the day of the fire." "I see." "What makes you say it's over for good?" "Because I know jon." "He's promised anne never to see fleur again, and once jon gives his word, nothing, nothing will make him go back on it." "It's over, michael, and fleur knows it." "Whatever it was." "No, it's all right." "I don't go back on my word, either." "And I know I always played second fiddle." "She must be given time, michael." "Yes." "Thank you." "You know, it's pretty hard sometimes to remember it's all... comedy." "But we get there in the end, you know." "We get there." "It's fleur." "You know me, darling." "You're going to get well." "I know you are." "Forgive me, daddy." "Can you forgive me?" "Nonsense." "I do love you." "I do love you so much." "Yes." "I'll be good." "I promise." "I'll be good." "Gradman's here." "And aunt winifred." "And michael." "Is there anyone you want to see?" "You." "Well, I'm here." "All the time." "Then... that'S... all."