"When a forsyte decides to buy something, it is part of his nature to pretend he doesn't want it." "But when my father-in-law goes to buy a picture, he is caution personified." "In his opinion, all modern painters will be dead before he is." "So the fer thing to do is to buy one of those already dead, and what's more, only those of the dead who are sure to live." "My fatin-ls ind that morland is one of those, and he's most probably right." "Oh, I was looking at the tail, some good painting in that." "Yes, m forteof ce." "We've met before." "Yes, my grandfather bought it from the painter." "There's a note on the back." "I don't want to part with it, but these are lean years." "Would you like to see the back?" "Oh, I always look at the back." "So do I. It's sometimes the best part of the picture." "Will you give me a hand?" "Yes." "There's just a hook... ah, yes." "That's right." "Thank you." "You know, mr." "Forsyte, there's something in the hereditary principle when it comes to the sale of heirlooms." "One knows the provenance." "Oh, yes, I dare say." "But I can see it's genuine without that." ""George morland to lord george ferrar." "For value received, 80 pounds, 1797." Yes." "He came into the title later." "Hm?" "My grandfather, I mean." "Ah, yes." "I'm glad morland got his money." "Great rips, our grandfathers, mr." "Forsyte." "Days of great rips, those." "Oh, he was a great rip, morland." "But he could paint." "You know in those days, people could buy with confidence." "They can't now." "Oh, not so sure." "Not so sure." "The electrification of art may be a necessary process." "We're all moving, mr." "Forsyte, very fast." "Yes, well, the pace doesn't matter, as long as it leads somewhere." "You know, it's astonishing how seldom anyone says anything to me of any interest." "Well, now." "What do you think would be a fair price?" "Oh, well, why not get another opinion?" "Oh, demetrius?" "Oh, that haymarket man?" "Is his opinion better than yours?" "That I can't say." "He'd probably value the picture at five guineas and make you an offer." "Well, I don't care for it to be known that I'm selling pictures." "Well, I wouldn't want you to get less than you might." "Now if I were to ask demetrius to buy me a morland, well, 500 would be my limit." "Well, shall we say six?" "Oh, that would be too generous, perhaps." "Five-fifty?" "Oh, we won't haggle." "Six." "Now, you can have a check, and I'll take it away with me." "It'll hang in my gallery at mapledurham." "Well, I'm really obliged to you, and I'm delighted to think it will go to a good home." "Near the river, I believe." "Yes." "Have you your own electric plant there?" "Yes." "You know, if you hang those still-lifes a little closer, this won't be missed." "You think so?" "Michael:" "So much for my father-in-law, efficient as ever." "But my other forsyte?" "Not so predictable." "When two people live together, and one of them is in love, he's bound to be sensitive to the emotions of the other." "But fleur, restless, was no new thing, and what she was really feeling, she concealed as well from me as from everyone else." "Oh." "Oh, it's you." "Oh, come in." "Thank you." "I expected you last week." "Well, I've been rather busy." "I dare say." "Though what you find to do all day... hm." "Jon and anne are in town." "Oh, harold's painting a beautiful thing of her." "It'll be quite unique." "Well, what do you think of her, now you've met?" "Anne?" "A nice little thing." "Pretty too." "Jon's obviously devoted." "And mr." "Blade?" "Oh!" "Has he been bowled over?" "No, no, no." "Harold sees her merely as a composition, you know." "In white." "Shades of whistler." "Hm?" "Oh." "Now, fleur, if you wouldn't mind waiting in here..." "I have to go out, something harold wants, but I'll only be 10 minutes." "Then I'll take you in, and he'll see you." "Well, I hope he'll approve." "I think he will." "You have got a sort of early renaissance look, although you're so modern." "Oh, good." "And if he does decide to paint you, you won't regret it." "Is soames coming?" "I'll bring him." "Good." "Thank you." "You know, harold's the only man doing real work just now." "It's lucky there is one." "That'll do." "Take a rest." "Thanks." "I can do with one." "Darling." "Mm-hm?" "Oh, sorry." "Well, you exhausted?" "Pretty tired." "But jon, you must let him paint you too." "Oh, I don't know." "Why?" "Because then we can start behaving like ancestors." "Oh, all right." "Here." "Thank you." "Let's see." "Well...?" "Well, here I am, and where's val?" "Hm?" "He said it was important." "The traffic, dear." "But it must be important." "Val hates town." "Oh, has he still got that young chap and his wife?" "What's her name?" "Anne." "Yes, american, I believe." "Yes, they're still at wansdon." "Isn't he ever going to do anything?" "Yes." "Val tells me he's found a farm." "A farm?" "In england?" "What's he want to do that for?" "He's throwing his money away." "Do much better to go back to america, or try south africa." "At least his half-brother died out there." "That would surely be an odd reason." "But no, I don't believe he'll leave england again." "After all, he has tried america and canada." "Amateurs, all the young forsytes." "How much has he got a year?" "The same as holly and june, about 2000 until his mother dies." "Oh, his mother." "You know, I remember when, yes, a beggarly 50 pounds a year, that's all she had, and that was too much, putting ideas into her head." "Now, soames." "Ah, there you are." "Hello, mother." "There you are, lovely to see you." "I'm very glad to see you, uncle soames." "Oh?" "What's all this about?" "This." "There you are, val, dear." "Have some coff thank you, mother." "There you are." "Oh." "Hmph." "Oh." "Well, I've known impudence in my time, but this chap, stainford." "Well, what do you think i should do?" "Do?" "Tear it up." "What is it, dear?" "Is he asking for money?" "What else?" "50 pounds." "Stainford says he knows something about rondavel." "Huh?" "Oh, you kn oh, yes." "Yes, yes, of course." "We won all that money on it." "Yes, but the starting price was only four to one." "Now the colt's gone sick, just before goodwood." "Something's wrong, and stainford claims to know what." "Well, is that possible?" "Oh, yes." "So I've asked him to come here this afternoon." "Here?" "This afternoon?" "Yes, because if I'm going to see him," "I thought uncle soames should be here in case I make a fool of myself." "Yes, well, there's something in that." "Oh, well, if you must have him here, then clear the room first." "Yes, and winifred, get smither to hide the umbrellas." "Family portrait?" "Uh, no, sir." "That's a goya." "The devil it is." "Goy..." "that's jewish for christian." "Female christian, what?" "No, it's the name of a spanish painter." "No idea there were any except velasquez." "He's dead, you know." "Yes, indeed." "Ga, these modern painters, you know what I'd do?" "I'd strangle the lot of them." "Oh, certainly, fanfield." "But why stick at modern painters, eh?" "My dear boy, that was my shin." "I know." "Shall we get on with it, sir?" "Oh, certainly." "Gentlemen?" "Gentlemen." "Gentlemen, I propose that the squire takes the chair." "Will you second that, marquess?" "Oh, by all means." "Good, well, you sit over there, then." "Thank you." "Come along, sir timothy." "That is the existing scheme." "Here we are, marquess." "That's the existing scheme." "Now then, I won't beat about the bush." "You all know as much about it as I do, which is precious little, if one is to be perfectly honest." "The whole thing is the idea of mr." "Hilary charwell, here, so I shall ask him to explain it." "The slums are c-3 breeders, and verminous into the bargain, and anything that we can do to abate this nuisance," "I, for one, should be most happy to do." "Will you give tongue, mr." "Charwell?" "Thank you, squire." "Clergymen are bores by definition, gentlemen, for two reasons." "One:" "We're always wanting something." "And two:" "All we're trained to do is talk." "Well, I'll tell you what I want as briefly as possible." "The slums in our cities are a national disgrace." "Hear, hear." "And there are only two ways of dealing with that disgrace." "You can sweep the whole lot away, destroy every filthy hovel in the land and start again." "The cost of that has been estimated at 2000 million." "Where is it coming from?" "Taxation?" "And how long would it take?" "Exactly." "The other way, now this is what I am proposing, is to induce people with capital to invest it, not merely the rich, to invest it in a general slum conversion fund, and to affiliate every other" "slum conversion society at present existing, provided they conforms to one principle, namely that the inhabitants shall not to be displaced." "What interest do you pay?" "Two and a half percent, rising to four as time goes on." "And what do you do with the capital?" "We buy up slum property as cheaply as we can get it, just as we've started to do at the meads, as you see from these pieces of paper." "Then, house by house, street by street... you electrify them." "Yes, marquess, we do." "And we disinfest the walls, re-floor the rooms, give them decent plumbing and hot water." "But hold on there." "Doesn't that mean a much higher rent?" "You'd be surprised how little more." "Less than a council flat." "And, gentlemen, the people are not dispossessed." "What we aim to do is to dispossess the slum landlords." "Dispossess them!" "I'd string them up!" "I'd torture them!" "Good lord,the committee meeting." "Ah, coaker, have they had tea?" "Mr. Mont said half past four, ma'am." "Ah, good." "Well, then i'll come down and pour out." "Is my father in?" "No, ma'am." "He phoned to say he was lunching at mrs." "Dartie'S." "Oh, I see." "Thank you." "It's that gentleman, sir." "The one that took the you-know-what." "Yes, I know what." "Show him in, smither." "Very good, sir." "Mr. Stainford, sir." "Hello, stainford." "Brandy or whiskey?" "Brandy, thanks." "You wanted to see me." "My uncle here is my solicitor." "Yes, we have met." "Indeed, yes." "Well?" "I'm sorry your colt's gone amiss, dartie." "Now, how did you know that?" "Exactly." "But before I tell you, do you mind giving me 50 pounds and your word that my name's not mentioned?" "Now, how do I know that the information's worth a penny?" "Because of the fact that I know about your colt." "You mean you know where the leakage is?" "Fifty pounds." "Hm." "Is your information of real value?" "On my honor." "Hmph." "And if I buy it, can you guarantee the leak will stop?" "I doubt if there's more than one." "Not yet... first tell me your story." "Then if it sounds plausible, you shall have the money." "I'm more trusting than you are, dartie." "All right." "Get rid of a boy called sinnet." "He's the leak." "Sinnet!" "I don't believe it." "That's a serious allegation." "Have you got proof?" "Well?" ""The colt's amiss all right." "He'll be no use at goodwood."" "All right." "But does that mean he engineered it?" "May I keep this?" "If you'll promise not to show it to him." "Very well." "Now, this is all very fishy." "Do you know sinnet's handwriting?" "Not yet." "Oh, now, hold on... tell me, did you get at sinnet the day you came down to see me?" "Don't let him go like that." "It's monstrous." "It's funny." "Damn funny." "Funny?" "I don't know what things are coming to." "Well, he got 50 of the best out of me, but it was worth it." "Sinnet, one of my best men." "To corrupt one of your men and then get you to pay him for it." "Ah, that's what tickles me." "Well, it doesn't tickle me." "And what use it was having me here, I..." "the fellow ought to be shot." "Tell your mother i've gone round to fleur'S." "No tea, sir timothy?" "Tea?" "Never touch the stuff." "Chap who invented tea should have been hamstrung." "Well, what about a whiskey and soda then, sir?" "Not before sundown." "You ought to know that." "Do you think it'll go?" "Probably." "We're a rum old lot, and no mistake." "But hilary here has a persuasive tongue." "Well, gentlemen, shall we continue?" "I'll see you afterwards." "You know what we talked about?" "Yes." "Well, I think I've got it." "Good for you." "Yes." "Now then." "We've all agreed that we want to form this fund." "And we've all had a look at the draft appeal got out by mr." "Hilary charwell here." "We can discuss it if you wish, but time's getting on, gentlemen." "And I think it fills the bill." "What do you say, shropshire?" "Oh, admirable, I'd say, with one exception." "Not sufficient stress on electrifying the kitchens." "I want something that will make slum landlords sit up." "We're here to twist their tails, aren't we, damn it?" "The appeal's too mild." "Well, what do you suggest then, fanfield?" "Well, I have a note here." ""We record our conviction that anyone who owns slum property ought to be shot."" "Now hold hard." "These gentlemen... no, no, no." "That won't do." "Why not, eh?" "Why not?" "All sorts of respectable people own slum property." "Syndicates." "Dukes." "Widows." "Even the church, eh, charwell?" "Yes, I'm afraid so." "Well, then." "We can't go calling them gentlemen and saying they ought to be shot." "Oh, it won't do." "Might we not word it like this?" ""We much regret that those who own slum property" ""are not more alive to their responsibilities to the community at large."" "Community at large, my foot." "Don't you think we ought to have a lawyer here to tell us exactly how far we can go?" "Yes, mont." "I do think so." "Well, what about my father-in-law?" "He's staying here at present." "And I dare say he'd advise us, if we asked him." "Old forsyte, just the man." "I think we ought to have him on the committee, squire." "Forsyte?" "By all means, a steady brain." "He bought my morland, don't you know?" "Gave me a decent price for it too, or I shouldn't be here." "Well, let's co-opt him then." "A lawyer's always useful." "I'll see if he's in, sir." "Good." "What's going on here?" "Something to do with the slums, sir, I believe." "Oh." "Well, don't put my hat with that lot." "Ah, well met, sir." "Huh?" "The very man we need." "Indeed?" "Why?" "My slum committee are just drafting their appeal to the public, and they'd be awfully glad of your help, sir." "Oh, what can I do?" "Well, as a law you could check the allusions to slum landlords." "In case of libel, sir?" "Libel?" "Oh, we don't want anymore of that." "Well, exactly." "In fact, if it wouldn't bore you terribly, I think they'd like to co-opt you onto the committee, sir." "Oh, they would, would they?" "Who are they?" "Oh, it's a good collection." "There's the marquess of shropshire, you know him." "My father." "Sir timothy fanfield." "A lot of titles." "Is this a wildcat thing?" "Oh, lord, no, sir." "Oh, all right." "I'll come and have a look at them." "Good." "I think you'll find them a quite respectable lot." "Yes, of course, you know this isn't quite my line of country." "Well, forsyte, this is a pleasure." "Let me introduce you to our chairman, mr." "Wilfred bentworth." "Mr. Soames forsyte." "Mr. Forsyte." "Good of you to join us." "Glad to see you." "Very glad indeed." "Now, then." "If you'll be so good, just cast your eye over this." "As a lawyer, mr." "Forsyte, you can help us a great deal." "We want you to join us on this committee to keep us straight." "Check our fire-eaters, like fanfield there." "Yes... yes, with the hearty cooperation of the slum owners, much might be accomplished." "We do not wish to hold them up to the execration of anyone." "Well, if you don't, you don'T." "But why say so?" "Exactly." "Precisely my own view." "Yes, and that word "execration", that's a very strong word." "Too strong." "It's most valuable to have you on the committee, mr." "Forsyte." "Oh, not at a well, I'm not sure that I'm coming on yet." "Look here, sir." "Do you mean to say we can't use an inoffensive word like execration, when we know they ought to be shot?" "You could use it if you like, but not with me or any other man of judgment on the committee." "Hear, he then we'll pass that clause without those words." "Agreed?" "Well, that's that." "I don't think there's anything more." "I must be going." "One moment, mr." "Chairman." "Yes, mr." "Montross?" "I know more about these people than any of you here." "I started life in the slums, and I tell you something." "Suppose you get some money." "Suppose you convert some streets." "Will you convert those people?" "No, gentlemen, you won'T." "Their children, mr." "Montross, their children." "I have nothing against the appeal, mr." "Charwell, but I am a self-made man and a realist." "And I know what we are up against." "I shall put some money into the scheme, but I want you to know that I do so with my eyes open." "Capital, capital." "So do we all, I hope." "Well, mr." "Forsyte, are you joining us?" "Oh, well, I'll go into the matter and let you know." "Michael:" "Well, thank you very much, gentlemen." "Squire." "Squire, you can leave all this to me, sir." "Printing the appeal, and so on." "I'll get a draft copy around to the members before the next meeting." "I'm obliged." "Now when do you think that should be?" "Oh, I should think next week." "A goya, I think, and a good one." "Yes." "Didn't it once belong to burlingford?" "Yes." "Yes, I bought that from burlingford when he sold his pictures in 1910." "I thought so." "Poor fellow." "He got very rattled, I remember, over the house of lords bill." "But you see, they haven't abolished us yet." "Yeah, they're a dilatory lot in parliament." "Just as well, perhaps." "It leaves them leisure for repentance." "Look, uncle hilary, don't go." "Wait and see fleur." "She's got a scheme that might interest you." "By all means." "Good, splendid." "Leisure!" "Leisure for repentance." "Ha ha ha!" "Oh!" "Your hat, sir." "Thank you, thank you, my dear." "What's your name?" "Coaker, my lord." "Coaker?" "There, now." "Coaker." "Stoker." "Pittman." "Collier." "Good old names in their day." "But out of date, as antiquated as bowyer and fletcher." "When you get married, coakman, take my advice, marry john electrician, he's the man of the future." "Make no mistake about that." "Well, good day to you all." "Good day, marquess." "Good day." "Good day, sir." "And thank you." "Good day, my dear." "Coaker, ask my wife to join us in the dining room, will you?" "Yes, sir." "Come along, uncle hilary." "I think we could all do with a drink." "I don't know that we've actually met before." "My name is charw spelt "charwell" and originally "keroual."" "On the good old english principle of confusing the foreigner." "Ah." "I don't know whether you've made up your mind, forsyte, but if you do join us, I'll be delighted." "Yes, well, as I said, this isn't really my line." "I'd have to sign the appeal, I suppose." "Oh, with the rest of us, yes." "And that would get into the papers," "I shouldn't wonder is that so awful?" "In a good cause?" "Well, they'll think I've taken leave of my senses." "Who will, sir?" "Well, the family, of course." "Oh." "Oh, there you are, fleur." "Hello." "My dear." "Well, uncle hilary, how did it go?" "A good start, I think." "Good." "Now." "What about this scheme of yours?" "Scheme?" "What scheme?" "Well, shall I tell them, michael?" "Or w well, I'll start, but you can finish." "Thank you." "Thank you, fleur." "Dad?" "Oh, thank you, my dear." "Thank you, michael." "Well, now, running this canteen, you see, has given fleur the taste for power." "No, it's true." "She made a first-rate job of it." "Yes, I heard about that." "So after we both came down to see you at the meads last week, she decided to start a, well," "I suppose you'd call it a rest house." "A what?" "A place in the country." "Uh, somewhere for working girls, oh, you know, uncle hilary, to come for a few days." "Rest and fresh air." "About eight at a time, we thought." "That's excellent." "Fleur:" "Think they'll come?" "Oh, I'm sure they wi well, I've been seeing agents, and today, michael, I think I've got it." "Where?" "Dorking." "It's near box hill, it's quite big enough, very quiet and the air's marvelous." "Splendid." "But... hold on." "Who's going to pay for all this?" "Oh, fleur wants to do that herself, sir." "Oh." "Oh, well, that shows you're serious." "Oh, yes." "Yes, I am." "Well, I can manage all the living expenses perfectly well myself, including staff." "A man and his wife." "But, well, I was wondering if you'd stump up for rent and rates." "Stump up?" "How much?" "Only 200 a year." "Well, I... oh, duckie, when you think of the good we can do." "It is worth doing, sir." "These girls work 10 hours a day in factories and sweatshops." "And they live in a bug-infested slum." "Well, all right, yes, very well." "Good for you, sir." "Only, as for these young ladies, well, don't let me see them, that's all." "You won't regret this, forsyte." "Money spent in the best possible way." "Michael, I must go." "Yes?" "I'll see you out." "Goodbye, fleur." "Well done." "Thank goodbye, forsyte." "And thank you." "Very plausible chap, that." "But then, I suppose he has to be." "Oh, by the way, what about this young painter june's got hold of?" "I thought you wanted me to see his work." "Yes, if you like." "Well..." "I'm not too keen, but michael wants a portrait of me." "Yes, quite right." "When do you want to go?" "Sometime next week, say tuesday." "Yes." "Well, I think I'll go up and change, huh?" "Well, let's hope the fellow can paint, that's all." "And same to you." "Will val be here for dinner?" "No." "I persuaded him to stay the night in town." "And he takes some persuading, I can tell you." "It's strange, isn't it?" "When one thinks of his father, the complete man about town." "Poor winifred." "She had a lot to put up with one way and another." "Oh, but she adored him, didn't she?" "Yes." "Yes, I think she did." "And val... how lucky he was to meet you." "Nonsense." "Not at all." "But you were lucky too, holly, because if jo... if your father hadn't been what he was... if he'd really been a forsyte... oh, I know." "He was wonderful." "Yes." "Irene." "Yes?" "If jon decides to buy greenhill, or any other farm, will you live with them?" "No, that wouldn't do at all." "What will you do?" "I've been thinking about it." "I may go to live in paris." "Paris?" "Mm." "But why paris?" "Because I like it." "I have friends there, you know." "And jo once said to me when we were there, "paris suits you."" "He was right too." "It does." "But it's so far away and you'd be all alone." "I shall come over often to stay with jon and anne." "Oh, and with us." "Of course, dear." "But irene, look... why don't you settle here at wansdon." "Oh, val and i would both like it." "You know we should." "Take a little flat in paris, of course, if you want to, go there whenever you wish." "But make this your home." "And you'll be near enough to greenhill to see anne and jon whenever you wanted to, but not..." "but not near enough to be a nuisance?" "It's a happy thought, holl and it's like you to think of it." "Oh, seriously, irene." "Val and I have talked this over, you know, and we're agreed." "So you needn't think it's just me." "We both want you." "May I think about it?" "Well, of course, but I do hope..." "they're back." "Now, what's the news, I wonder?" "Well?" "We've been and gone and done it." "Settle for greenhill?" "Yes." "Oh!" "Jon, I'm so glad." "Well done." "Jon, oh, that's splendid." "Well, when do you move in?" "The end of september." "Is there much to be done?" "Oh, a tremendous amount." "Especially to the house." "But that's my province, and am I looking forward to it." "So, jon, it's england from now on." "Yes." "I'm not going to play at things any longer." "I've played twice." "This time I'm going all out." "But you weren't playing in north carolina." "Well, not exactly, but... well, this is different." "Somehow it didn't matter out there." "I mean, what are peaches, anyway?" "Here it does, it matters a lot." "I mean to make things pay." "Well, I never thought I'd hear you say that." "Well, paying's the only proof." "I'm going to go in for tomatoes, onions, asparagus." "I shall work the arable for all it's worth, and if I get any more land," "I will." "Bully for you." "Jon, what energy." "Oh, it's terrifying, isn't it?" "But there's one thing that I've made him promise." "Oh, what's that?" "To have his portrait done." "By june's new genius?" "Yes." "Mine's finished, you know." "And we both like it." "So jon's agreed to go and sit there once a week now, because once we start at greenhill," "I just know he never will." "Oh, jon, this is marvelous news..." "yes." "Yes, it's ve he's got her to the life." "Don't you think so, fleur?" "Mm, I agree." "Yes." "Oh, I say, look here, isn't this...?" "Anne forsyte, jon's wife." "Do you like it?" "Is it finished?" "Yes." "It's going down to them in the morning." "Ah." "Yes, yes, it's quite clever." "Oh, the lily's excellent." "Daddy, look." "June's new refugee." "Good, isn't it?" "Yes, quite recognizable." "Yes, well, it'S... not at all bad." "Very kind of you to say so." "Yes, well, you want to paint my daughter." "What's your figure?" "A hundre wha...?" "That's steep, for these days." "You're a young man." "You... oh, well, however, if you make a good job of it." "You've seen my work." "Well, I dare say." "But you think all your geese are swans." "I never met a painter yet who didn'T." "Well, you won't keep her sitting too long, I hope." "She's busy." "That's settled, then." "Good." "Well, goodbye." "Goodbye." "Fleur." "I have to go, don't bother to... yes, I'm going around to your aunt'S." "Old gradman's meeting me there." "Are you going to come?" "Thanks, duckie, but I'm going to sloane square, there's a sale there." "You know, things for the rest house." "Ah." "Thank you." "Well, you can arrange the sittings to suit yourself." "Then you liked him?" "Oh, better than you'd think from the look of him." "He's a forbidding chap." "A painter has to be like that." "Otherwise people might think he's cadging." "Yes, I suppose there's something in that." "Well, if you won't let me give you a lift." "No, thanks, duckie," "I need the walk." "All right, my dear." "Look after yourself, will you?" "And don't go overdoing things." "Hello, june." "So you weren't out." "Of cou i just didn't want to see your father." "Now, what have you come back for?" "Well, we forgot to arrange the first sitting." "Oh, we'll ask harold." "Thank you." "I'm so glad soames agreed." "The price is nominal, of course..." "I liked the thing he's done of anne." "Exquisite, isn't it?" "And jon?" "Yes." "Anne finally persuaded him." "Oh, they'll make a splendid pair." "He's coming every morning for a week." "Not nearly enough, really." "Harold ought to have a fortnight..." "oh, june, excuse me, could we change that?" "Get jon to come in the afternoons." "I suppose I might." "Why?" "Well, you see, the mornings are really the only time for me." "I go down to dorking most afternoons." "I told you, the rest house." "Oh, yes." "Though what people want to rest for, I don't know." "All right, I'll telephone jon." "Good." "What should I wear?" "Oh, we'll, ask harold." "Harold, what do you want mrs." "Mont to wear?" "Gold and silver." "Extraordinary." "Oh, fleur, he's seen through you at once." "Your gold and silver room." "Harold, how did you?" "I happen to have an old folly dress, it's gold and silver, with bells." "A folly!" "I haven't worn it since I was married." "The very thing, if it's pretty." "Oh, it is." "Some are hideous." "Oh, no, and it makes a charming sound." "Well, I can't paint that." "No, but you could suggest it, harold, like leonardo." "Leonardo?" "Oh, well, I know he's not exactly your... no makeup on your face." "Oh?" "No." "I prefer to do the paintwork myself." "So you see, gradman, I've been thinking." "Well, if anything should happen to me, or to you, things would soon be in queer street." "Oh, we won't think about that." "Oh, we must, gradman, we're neither of us young men." "Well, I'm not a chicken, but..." "well, you're no age, mr." "Soames." "Seventy-one." "Dear me, well, it seems only the other day I took you down to preparatory school at slough." "I remember those days better than yesterday." "Yes, so do I, gradman." "And that's a sign of age." "Do you recollect that young chap who came and told me about elderson?" "Oh, yes, yes, nice young fellow." "Buttermilk, or some such name." "Butterfield." "Oh, 'field." "Yes." "Well, I've decided to put him under you at the office," "I want you to get him au fait with everything." "Well, it seems like going to meet trouble." "I'm quite up to the work." "Oh, I know how you feel, gradman." "I feel much the same myself, but, well, we... time doesn't stand still for anyone, and we have to look to the future." "None of us live forever." "Aye." "Well, mr." "Soames." "You've made up your mind, there's no more to be said." "But I don't like it." "I don't like it at all." "Well, that fellow riggs... the car's outside." "He'll drive you to your station." "Thank you just the same, mr." "Soames, but I'd rather walk, thank you." "I like the air." "Are you going, mr." "Gradman?" "Have a glass of port before you do." "No?" "Thank you, no,mrs." "Dartie." "Good evening." "Good evening, mr." "Gradman." "Soames, he's very upset." "Yes." "Well, he's a faithful old chap." "I thought I'd drop in at polkington's, get him a bit of plate, rose-bowl or some such." "Yes, indeed." "I'll have it engraved." "To joseph gradman, in gratitude from the forsyte family, something like that?" "Something like that, yes." "Silver, about 40 guineas." "That would do very well, dear." "Our grandfather, now there was a character." "Superior dosset." "Imagine being called superior dosset." "Oh, we've come a long way from that." "Yes, I dare say." "But what have we gained, winifred?" "Hm?" "What have we lost?" "Would you like a rest?" "Oh, goodness, yes." "Well, may I look?" "There's nothing to look at yet." "Oh, I don't know." "Am I a good sitter?" "Not bad." "What about my cousin jon?" "No, he takes no interest." "Got something on his mind, probably." "Well, he's a poet, you know." "Poet?" "Yes." "Nonsense." "His head's the wrong shape." "Too much jaw, for one thing." "Don't you find him an attractive subject?" "Well, I paint anything, pretty or ugly as sin." "Look at rafael's pope." "Did you ever see a better portrait, or an uglier man?" "Ugliness isn't attractive, but it's there." "That's obvious." "I state the obvious." "People have got so far away from the obvious that a platitude startles them." "And nothing else does." "Mm." "Interesting." "Of course, the platitude's got to be stated with force and clarity." "Do you know, I met a man last night who said he's spent four years writing 22 lines of verse that no one could understand?" "How's that for tripe, eh?" "But it'll make him quite a reputation until someone else writes 22 lines in five years with even less meaning." "The smart boys' ideal poet is a chimpanzee with a typewriter." "Yes, talk's the thing nowadays, though I must say, your cousin doesn't talk much." "Silence is quite a quality." "Meaning that I haven't got it, eh?" "Well, you're wrong." "I once went a fortnight without opening my mouth." "She really got worried." "I don't think you're very kind to her." "I can't afford to be." "She's after my soul." "Like all women, they're not content with their own." "Come on." "Perhaps they haven't got any." "The mohammedan view." "Ah, there something in that." "A woman's always after the soul of a man, or the child." "Men are content with wanting bodies." "Yes." "Well..." "I'm more interested in your theory of platitudes, mr." "Blade." "Strikes home, eh?" "I wasn't being personal." "No?" "Head a little more to the right." "That's it." "What platitude will my portrait express?" "Oh, don't you worry." "There'll be one, all right." "Character will out." "Yes." "And my cousin's wife?" "Oh, god, w yeah, t her right." "She throws back to something." "Irish, perhaps, or breton." "A touch of the nymph." "She was brought up in the backwoods, I believe." "Ah, you don't like the lady?" "Certainly, I do." "And my cousin, what's his platitude to be?" "Conscience." "That chap will go far on the straight and narrow." "What a dreadful prophecy." "True, though." "He's got a conscience, all right." "He worries." "Yes, the whole questn inhence aamn nuance." "All I can leave michael is a few hundred acres of land that he doesn't want." "Yes, and nobody else wants either." "Thank you." "Port, bart?" "Oh, thank you." "What'll you do with your pictures, forsyte, when you take the ferry?" "What?" "Leave them to the nation?" "Oh, well, it depends on how they treat me." "If they clap me on anymore death duties, I'll revoke the bequest." "The principle of our ancestors, eh?" "Voluntary service or nothing at all." "Good fellows, our ancestors." "I don't know about yours, but mine were only... thank you, my dear." "Only dorset farmers, yeomen." "Matter of fact," "I've decided to go down and have a look at them." "Good idea, daddy." "When?" "The day after tomorrow." "Oh, would you, you wouldn't care to come along, would you?" "Well, I'd love to, but, well, what with my portrait, and the rest house, you know." "Ah, yes, yes." "How's that venture going?" "Very well, bart." "The first batch of girls are installed and they seem to like it." "Aren't they difficult?" "No, quite model." "Uncle hilary and I packed them into the train at charing cross." "He wasn't wearing his dog collar, and the guard took a very hard look at us." "I think he suspected white slavery." "Michael, don't be so absurd." "No, I assure you." "I felt quite guilty." "Well, I must be going." "There's a division at 9:00 and the whips are on." "Well, I'll walk down with you, if I may." "All right, bart." "Will you excuse me, fleur?" "Oh, how's kit?" "Splendid, thank you." "Well, goodbye, my dear." "Good night, bart." "And thank you." "Thank you." "Good night, forsyte." "Oh, good night." "I shan't be late, darling." "Good night, darling." "How long will you be away?" "It's only 300 miles." "I should be back on the third day, that's if that fellow riggs doesn't lose the road or run out of petrol." "I was wondering if you'd like to take kit and his nurse down with you as far as mapledurham?" "Yes, yes, if you wish." "He does love it so there in the fine weather, and we can't get away to the sea until parliament rises." "Oh, well, perhaps I'd better postpone my visit." "No, duckie." "No need for that." "Oh, very well." "I'll join you at the weekend." "Yes, and bring michael." "He could do with a bit of fresh air, I shouldn't wonder." "What are you going to do with your portrait when it's finished?" "Well, it'll be yours." "Mine?" "Well, yes, I know, but, you'll hang it here." "Michael will want it." "Well," "I expect he'll put it in the drawing room." "Oh, I'm wearing my old follies dress, you know, silver and gold." "Oh, yes, I remember." "Yes, the thing with bells." "Yes." "Yes." "I think all that part of it's rather good." "What, not the face?" "Well, perhaps." "I don't like painters." "They see too clearly." "Well, that's what they're paid to do." "Mind you, if he doesn't..." "hasn't done you justice," "I shan't take it." "The rafaelite will have something to say about that." "So will june." "Yes, I dare say." "Have they... has he sent that picture of that young woman away yet?" "Jon's wife?" "Yes." "Oh, yes, ages ago." "Hm, your cousin val telephoned me this morning." "He's had his name forged on a check." "Yes, that scoundrel stainford." "Some people have got no moral sense at all." "Common honesty, it used to be the best policy, but now..." "I don't know." "Isn't that just old victorian bromide?" "Victorian?" "Where'd you get that notion from?" "Well, if it's only the best policy, there can't be much virtue in it." "Yes, I suppose you think of me as an old victorian too, huh?" "Well, aren't you, duckie?" "You had 46 years of her." "Well, I've had 25 without her, and I hope to have a few more." "Many, many." "Can't expect that." "Yes." "Anyway, on monday you'll be down among the old georgians." "Oh." "Yes, they say there's an old church out down there." "I might find an inscription or two." "Yes, that reminds me, I've bought the corner bit in the churchyard at mapledurham." "It'll do me as well as anything." "Strange sound the town makes at night." "When you think of it, it's made up of the sounds of millions of people all leading their different lives." "Yes, except we're all going one way." "Oh, we're not going any way." "There's only pace." "No." "There must be direction too." "Change, of course, but that's all." "For better or worse, but that's direction in itself." "Perhaps." "But only to the edge, michael, then... whoops." "Over we go." "The gadarene swine?" "That's one name for us." "No, you mustn't think that." "Oh, I'll admit we're on a tightrope, but there's still common sense." "Common sense?" "Well, what use is that in the face of passion?" "I thought you were all for common sense." "Anyway, fleur, what passion?" "The passion to know, or the passion to have?" "Both of them." "They rule the present age, michael, and I'm a child of it." "You're not." "I'm not so sure." "Anyway, fleur, if there's anything particular... you want to know, or to have..." "I'd like you to tell me." "Only the moon." "Only the moon, michael." "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." "Okjon." "P ere, through the trees." "Robin hill." "Mm." "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." "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!" "Fleur!" "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." "And so, in the music lounge of an american hotel, soames forsyte sees his former wife irene for the last time in his I and in that incident from last night's episode of the forsyte saga on bbc1," "galsworthy makes it quite clear that soames has at last calmed his passion for the woman whose body he once possessed, but never her soul." "His 40 years of torment are over, and no longer will irene be bothered with his advances." "But perhaps what must be the most one-sided love affair in english literature has left the nation completely divided..." "or rather, that part of the nation which has been religiously following the saga for the last five months." "For very few viewers can claim indifference to either soames or irene." "Most people are either dedicated soames-ites, loathing irene's prim coldness to him and her inability to forgive, ...or they are firm sympathizers of irene, finding soames' attitude towards her stifling,grasping and even inhumane." "Last week in oxford street, we asked 100 saga watchers," "50 men and 50 women, to reveal their loyalties." "Only seven said they had no feelings one way or the other." "Of the rest, soames easily had the edge, for 54 people plumped for him with very few reservations, which left only 39 to speak up for the virtues of the beautiful irene." "She's a sophisticated, artistic, sensitive woman who is drawn into a society which she has no sympathy with, and then is forced to live with it." "She's very, very pretty." "She's very womanly she's very womanly, you know, and ladylike." "That she is." "She's very tough." "Very tough." "I think irene's a bit..." "she's a bit of a bitch, really." "She always sort of tries to get her own way, I think, you know, and she succeeds." "She needed A..." "well, she was capable of giving and taking a great deal of love." "What sort of woman do you think she was?" "Oh, very selfish." "That's right." "You wouldn't like to have married a woman like her?" "No, not at all." "Never in my life." "I think that she's a very sympathetic character, and soames, particularly in the book, which isn't, perhaps, emphasized, is rather an ugly, rapacious sort of person." "Of course, in the series, he's put out to be rather an attractive, wholesome sort of man, with a lot of british qualities." "I think soames was capable of giving a lot of love, but he didn't quite know how." "He always used to miss somehow." "And he, I think, realized this... you know, halfway through the play." "Well..." "I think he's very much misunderstood." "I think he is nice underneath." "In what way misunderstood?" "Well, he doesn't seem to get on at all well with anyone, does he?" "Is that his fault?" "No, I don't think so." "I think he's got one of those natures that, you know, could be very nice, but he can't get over to other people, this is my opinion." "I sympathize throughout with... for him." "Absolutely." "What sort of man do you think he is?" "I think he's ruthless, brutal as well." "I think he's a very good man." "Very good man." "He's very kind." "I should think he'd be kind to a woman." "Well, a bit cantankerous at times, you know." "I have no dislike for soames." "I think he's very nice, as men go." "I should think he'd make a good husband." "He doesn't deprive her of anything, does he?" "No." "He gives her everything she requires." "But I think she sort of... she should have married a younger man." "What sort of man do you think soames is?" "My type." "Vee." "Cod se why whapned D. But I must admit, I think she was slightly hard on him." "He was a frustrated man." "I think he deserves what he's getting." "What is he getting?" "Whatever he's getting, he deserves." "Well, I have the same opinion." "Exactly the same opinion." "What, exactly?" "That he deserves what he gets." "Do you think she deserves everything she gets?" "Definitely." "Definitely, she does." "And you think he deserves everything he gets, do you?" "Practically everything he gets, yes." "He's got one or two good points." "Soames..." "what do I think of him as a character?" "Well, I think... what do I think?" "Well, I think he's a selfish man, I think." "I don't care for him at all." "No, I think he is." "And also irene," "I think she's a bit selfish." "Well, to him, yes." "So you don't really care for either of them?" "No, I don't care for either of them, really." "No, no." "I don'T." "No." "Thank you." "As you can see, there was little sex loyalty amongst those who were opinionated, for both camps were virtually equally split between men and women." "Now in a few moments, to examine why the emotional divisions run so deeply, joan bakewell will be talking to the outspoken supporters of both irene and soames." "For in the soames corner, we have olga franklin of the daily mail, and michael wharton, the daily telegraph's "peter simple", who has written that irene would be best buried at a kingston bypass roundabout with a stake driven" "through her heart." "And as seconds to irene are that champion of many causes, the gallant sir gerald nabarro, who calls himself an amateur expert on galsworthy, and sue puddefoot, woman's editor of the times." "But before that, here's a repeat of the one scene which above all others must have forced most undecided people to take one side or the other." "In it, irene returns home from a happy afternoon with bosinney, the man she has finally taken as her lover." "And soames, maddened with jealousy, sees fit to reassert what was in those days politely referred to as his marital rights." "Very pretty." "Very pretty." "I don't like that blouse." "It's a shapeless thing." "Don't touch me." "Where have you been?" "Tell me at once." "Where have you been?" "In heaven, out of this house." "Soames, don'T." "Kill me if you like, but don'T." "I'd rather you killed me." "Kill you?" "Why should I?" "There's no need to kill you." "Anybody can have you, can't they?" "No..." "can't they?" "!" "Well I can too!" "You're my wife." "You're my wife!" "No!" "You're my wife!" "Um..." "I think it was very good." "I think she deserved it." "I think he was right to do that." "Soames completely understood the contract of their particular marriage, and then he forced himself like an animal on her in the rape scene." "And she was shocked, and it completely changed him and her." "A woman likes a little bit of romance before the animal act." "And this little romance, he couldn't give her." "Money is not everything." "A woman wants a kind of affection, tenderness, and he couldn't give that." "What about the rape scene?" "Oh, I didn't think i got to that one." "You didn't see it?" "I think I must have missed that one." "What about the rape scene, for example, where soames forced his rights on her?" "Did you feel sorry for her then, or...?" "No, I felt sorry for him." "Yes, of course." "That's why he had to rape her, because she was no good to him." "Olga franklin, may I call you first for a pro-soames defense?" "Yes, if I can start by attacking irene." "That scene, that rape scene, just leaves me with a greater distaste for irene." "Such women are dangerous." "Such women make men te they make them commit murder." "She was very lucky only to be raped, I think." "To me, soames is the ideal husband." "Perhaps a little un-british, a little un-english, because his whole life was dedicated to love." "First his devotion to his family, then his unquenchable passion for this horrible woman, and then for his daughter, fleur, and... all his life!" "And will you leap to her defense?" "Yes, I'm delighted that olga has chosen to attack irene in soames' defense, because I'm going to do exactly the obverse and attack soames..." "I'm sorry, attacked irene in soames' defense, and I'm going to attack soames in irene defense." "To begin with, you've got to remember that irene, like many women at that time, was living in very straitened family circumstances, and galsworthy hints that her stepmother forced on her the idea of making a good marriage." "And a good marriage, in those days, was a marriage to a man of prospects, not necessarily to a man who loved you." "And so irene was coerced, probably, into this marriage." "Secondly, soames' wooing of irene." "However silly soames may have been in his original love for irene, and however passive and persuaded irene may have been, it's made very clear that soames spent a great deal of time and energy persuading irene to marry him, and that irene" "was very unwilling." "In fact, I believe she turns him down seven or eight times before she accep and on the very important question of the promise, there's a statement that it was about 20 times that irene had extracted this promise from soames." "So soames couldn't really say that he didn't know what he was in for." "In fact, I think he made a rug to beat his own back with." "Now regarding soames' behavior after what must have been, and what galsworthy gives every indication of has been, a very sterile marriage, in more ways than one, finally, irene is silly, we all accept that, and she falls in love" "with bosinney." "Soames has a chance to retrieve the situation, not only before the marriage, incidentally, when he realizes that irene is physically averse to him, but doesn't do anything about it, but when irene comes back," "when bosinney's been killed." "She's "helpless like a draggled bird", galsworthy says, and soames has a chance, you feel it there." "That if he took irene in his arms, and really said," ""I'll help you", that she would come to him." "But he doesn't do it." "And it's the most marvelous scene of all, in my opinion, when soames gets back to the house, when she's really left, and he finds that she's gone, and he looks for traces of her." "He goes through her wardrobe to see what dresses aren't there, through all the possessions that he's given her." "He finally comes upon the jewel casket, and the jewels are there." "And that's where irene's chosen to leave the note, because she realizes that this is what soames will look for." "And I think this sums up soames' attitude." "Finally, in defense of irene, can I quote what galsworthy says about her?" ""She was one of those women," ""not too common in the anglo-saxon race, born to be loved and to love, who, when not loving, are not living." And he goes on to say that this had never even occurred to soames." "I think that's an indictment, perhaps of both of them, but mostly of soames." "Olga:" "Can I answer that, joan?" "Joan:" "No, I want michael now, having heard the attack on soames as a defense of irene's behavior, to answer those charges." "Yes." "Well, I shall have to do it by attacking irene, I'm afraid, whom I regard as a very shallow type of woman." "I mean, this is partly proved by the fact that she always is attracted to shallow and rather phony kinds of men." "Bosinney, for instance, clearly a bogus, third-rate architect." "A conceited, narcissistic fellow, as represented in the television series, anyway, and to some extent in the book, I think." "And subsequently to young jolyon, who is quite the weakest and wettest member of the forsyte family, a man of rather shallow, liberal principles, and so on." "Um... um... but irene," "I mean, irene being attracted to third-rate architects and figures doesn't make her less attracted to... no, no, bu i mean, she's a woman who lives for love." "But she's incapable of understanding that instead of third or fourth-rate architects and watercolor painters, she could have had a first-rate solicitor." "She might just want a good husband, actually." "And, incidentally, a very good husband, a man who is far more capable of love than irene ever shows herself to be, I should have thought." "It's all hanging on this question of who is the more capable of love." "Sir gerald nabarro, irene... well, I want to correct olga franklin at once." "You see, soames wasn't dedicated to love." "Soames was dedicated to property." "That is the whole theme of the book." "He is the man of property, in the true victorian and edwardian sense of the word." "But I don't want to take sides so violently for irene against soames, or vice versa." "Much more important to look at the character of irene in the context of the people that she loved." "First of all, she loved old jolyon." "The end of the interlude, the" ""indian summer of a forsyte", the death of old jolyon, the dog, balthasar, whining, the thistledown settling on the toe of old jolyon as irene came across the lawn at robin hill and found him dead." "She loved old jolyon for his qualities and his kindness and the affection that he showed to her." "Young jolyon was a liberal with a small L. In history, one would have equated him, perhaps, with the archduke rudolph, who committed suicide at mayerling." "Roughly the same sort of period, he was the same sort of man." "But he wasn't a ne'er-do-well." "He was a liberal, broad-minded fellow, a very good husband, and a very fine character, an artist." "Then irene loved young jon, her son, passionately." "Michael:" "Not at all." "Olga:" "Oh, no." "Sir gerald:" "She loved him passionately." "She merely regarded him as a piece of property." "Well, I'm sorry." "I take the opposite view." "She loved him passionately." "And she rather advised against the union with fleur, and correctly so, and sponsored the union with anne wilmot, and rightly so." "Let's take, first of all, the promise, the pledge that soames makes when irene finally accepts his proposal of marriage, that should she not succeed as a wife for him, he would let her go." "We can now see that, I think." "We have that particular scene here for us to watch." "Soames..." "I don't love you." "I don't think i can ever love you, but in one of your letters, you said that if I made conditions, you would agree to them." "I meant what I said." "Do you really think it possible to marry with conditions or reservations?" "I don't know." "I'm prepared to try." "What is it you want?" "If I marry you, soames," "I'll do my utmost to be a good and loving wife to you, in every way that a woman should." "But this is my condition:" "I have no right to impose it upon you, none at all, but I must." "If I should fail... you won't fail." "But if I should, then I will ask you to let me go." "To set me free again, in whatever way these things can be arranged." "You must promise me now that if i ask you this, you will agree." "Will you swear it?" "I swear it, on my honor." "Then I will marry you." "Nonsense." "It was pure rhetoric, on both sides." "First of all, what did she mean by saying:" ""Will you let me go, in whatever manner this can be arranged?" He was a respectable solicitor." "Did she mean collusion?" "What she probably meant was:" ""Will you make me a modest allowance so that I can live separately from you?"" "Did she mean divorce?" "This would ruin his career." "It was immoral, anyway, to go into church, where the marriage took place, and to plight her troth," ""till death do us part", having in her mind that reservation." "It was a promise which any man in love would agree to, and it was absolute nonsense." "But this is not to be the main issue." "The main issue is why she married him at all." "And this is where i get really angry." "In 1905, a woman could do anything." "In fact, a woman had a better life then than she has now." "She could be a hospital nurse." "She could teach music." "She was a talented player, an artist." "She could serve in harrods, for heaven's sakes." "She was beautiful." "She could get a job anywhere." "She only needed to sell one of her beautiful coats or dresses, and she could live in comfort for a month and get herself a job." "She could do anything at all." "But may I correct you as a matter of fact?" "It was not 1905, it was 1883." "It was a very different matter." "Was it not after the death of queen victoria?" "No, long before. 1883." "Well, but there was very little difference." "Oh, yes." "Sue:" "Those were crucial years." "A great deal of difference." "Can I ask you about that contract of marriage?" "A particular agreement..." "well, an agreement, in late victorian times, to wed was an agreement for life." "I mean, we didn't regard marriage in those days as we regard it today." "The whole contract of matrimony was a very, very different affair." "In any event, soames didn't keep his word." "When the marriage was obviously unsuccessful, soames should have provided the means of separation and divorce." "But he didn't do so." "Did she try?" "She said, "I will try to be a loving wife." She was weeping on her wedding night." "She never tried at all." "She made no effort." "No, they were married quite a long time before anything started to happen." "Were they...?" "What do you mean, something started to happen?" "Before irene started to look elsewhere, or before soames' behavior became intolerable, one doesn't really know which came first." "Is there in fact a passage of time when they are considered to be happily married within the family?" "Yes, there is." "Michael:" "Well, tolerably so." "It's about three to five years." "Of course, it's only a story, you must remember." "They're real in everybody's mind." "Olga:" "No, it isn't only a story, because there are a lot of beautiful irenes who... michael:" "I don't, in fact, recollect that particular scene in the book, in fact." "It's not done in so much detail." "Of the elaborate promises of this kind." "No, it says in the book, if you want to know... does it?" ""..." "That if their marriage were not a success, she should be as free as if she had never married him", which is a very interesting statement." "Olga:" "Yes, but what did it mean?" "But wait a minute." "This is soames' reaction." "It's all here in galsworthy." "This is soames' reaction:" ""What queer things men would swear for the sake of women", he thinks later" ""he would have sworn it at any time to gain her."" "In other words, he doesn't mean it." "Who is the one who's lying?" "Michael:" "She doesn't mean it either." "Joan:" "Can I ask you...?" "I think she does." "The whole of this particular fight, this soames versus irene fight, seems to be the failure of that society to accommodate romance, which everybody wanted, and respectability, neither of which coincided in this particular family situation." "And that total failure of their society to cope with the needs of people like irene, to be the woman who's loved..." "and of soames." "And of soames, to have a respectable wife and hang on to her." "And to be loved." "But marriage, at that time... was legalized prostitution, in a way." "Entirely a matter of conveyancing of property, yes." "That was all marriage was." "But irene knew." "It was soames who wished to be loved, much more than irene did." "Sir gerald:" "No, but galsworthy, sue:" "No, no..." "galsworthy, you must remember, you must remember that galsworthy concentrates in every novel that he wrote, on a legal background." "In every book, there is always a legal suit." "Michael:" "Yes, he was a barrister himself." "And he is very strong on this." "And the end of the chapter, which the film, of course, hasn't arrived at yet, contains many examples of this." "And of course, he portrays, in the main body of the forsyte saga, two unsuccessful marriages." "He portrays soames and irene, and he portrays winifred dartie and her husband, who went off to south africa in the remainder." "And also soames and... what was his subsequent wife?" "Sir gerald:" "Soames and annette, of course." "And jolyon's first wife." "I think the double breakdown, the breakdown of the marriage between soames and irene first, and then the breakdown between the marriage of soames and annette, demonstrates, really, you know, that soames was not a companionable, matrimonial type." "I don't think it demonstrates that." "That is what it denotes to me." "Here were two perfectly good, sound, intelligent, beautiful women." "No, on the contrary... and a man of normal tendencies and character ought to have been able to get on with them, especially since he had a good deal of money." "But we must move on now, because I'd like to come to another crux in the plot, which is the fleur/jon relationship, and how they both respond to that." "Now, how do you think...?" "What do you think of irene's behavior?" "It's perfectly monstrous." "I mean, she claims to be above materialism, property and so on, as I think galsworthy himself admitted." "Yet she claims a complete, possessive sense of property over her son, whose happiness she's quite prepared to destroy for the sake of an ancient grudge against her former husband." "Joan:" "Do you think she holds out...?" "I agree." "I think it was vicious." "Because even if you dislike the rape very much, even if you say it was a crime, and I don't," "I say it was a crime passionnel, which means it was innocent." "Surely, she could have forgiven it and... yes, but there's another, there's a eugenic aspect to this, which, uh, there's an eugenic aspect to this, which is very important," "you know." "Soames' father was james." "Young jolyon's father was old jolyon." "Old jolyon was the older brother of james." "For their offspring to have married, second cousins." "So closely related, the one to the other, was courting trouble." "It was not the sort of thing..." "it is not the sort of thing that I would advise any son or daughter of mine to do," "But I don't... marry a close relative." "Olga:" "That wasn't in her mind." "Well... no, there's another point too, that I think the sub-theme of all of these novels is the contrast of the possessive quality of love compared with the possessive quality of property." "And if irene is... or indeed soames, with fleur, or jolyon, with young jon, if any of these people are finding that the claims of progeny are just as strong, and as in their way, damaging, as the claims of property," "this is part of what galsworthy's trying to say." "And in a i think there's a last-ditch defense for irene here, in that as far as she is concerned, fleur is soames' daughter, and is part of soames, rightly or wrongly, and this is what she doesn't want her child to... yes, but soames was prepared" "that his daughter should marry jon." "It wasn't... sir gerald:" "No, only under duress." "Sue:" "Not really." "He was prepared to think of his daughter's happiness first." "Sir gerald:" "If I may say so..." "irene, in her utter selfishness..." "I think he sees this as a sort of incestuous union with irene." "Enough of this matter, mr." "Wharton." "Enough of this matter." "Here's my controversy with olga." "Olga said that soames was dedicated to love." "Olga:" "I stick to that." "Well, that is utterly wrong." "Galsworthy created soames forsyte as the epitome of property." "He was the man of property, and his manifest of property was the creation of robin hill." "We are judging him as portrayed in the television serial by eric porter." "No, I think that every person who is at all deeply involved with the galsworthy saga, the whole series, the forsyte saga, a modern comedy, the end of the chapter, over the river and the remainder, will always recognize that the" "epitome of property was soames." "He was not the epitome of affection or love." "No, he... can I ask you all, finally, because we could obviously go on all night, whether you would concede that your heroine, your hero, are, both of them, very unforgiving, uncharitable" "throughout their whole life in regard to each other?" "Not soames." "He puts his hand out to her." "He makes several overtur especially out of love for his daughter, which I thought was absolutely wonderful." "Which proves my point, that he was a man dedicated to love, the love of his child." "Joan:" "Unrelenting?" "In the end, was she unforgiving?" "I don't believe that irene could have ever forgiven soames after he had forced himself physically upon her, or, as the commentator said earlier, "demanded his marital rights."" "I prefer to call it demanding his conjugal rights." "Whatever you call it, that's what soames did, and it was pretty unpleasant." "We don't talk about those things in these days, but it was pretty unpleasant, whatever time they lived in." "And I think that there's a further point here..." "I'm sorry to make you laugh." "The way the two of them developed..." "soames cherishes this sterile passion, and manages to spoil a few more lives in the process." "Irene makes a happy marriage and produces a perfectly ch no, no, no." "Irene was utterly incapable... you will never agree." "May I, on that note... thank you all very much." "Sue puddefoot, olga franklin, michael wharton, sir gerald nabarro." "Thank you very much." "Thank you." "And as came out of all that, it's only a story, and amen to that." "Still, if you want to add to that discussion, some of you will get your chance next tuesday when talk back on bbc1 examines the whole social impact of the series at the end of its run." "Let's take her emotions for granted, shall we?" "I've had enough of those in the past weeks." "I'm more interested in you, for the moment." "Why do you want to marry her?" "There are two ways of answering that unfair question." "Unfair?" "I can give you the conventional truth." "That I'm in love with june, all the more so because she loves me." "That she's the only girl i've ever wanted to marry." "Because of her decency." "Crew:" "Cutting." "Can we take it once more?" "Are you doing it on camera three now, david?" "It didn't cut." "It didn't cut." "There's no cut at the end." "Man:" "Yes, but you... so he was up before it should have been." "Aren't you taking shot 55?" "They never took... they didn't cut to you on the wall." "Aren't you taking shot 55-a?" "You didn't cut to me for 55-A." "Well, he walked up the thing, didn't he?" "Let's take her emotions for granted, shall we?" "I've had enough of those in the past weeks." "You interest me more, for the moment." "Why do you want to marry her?" "There are two ways of answering that unfair question." "Unfair?" "Well, I can give you the conventional truth, that I'm in love with june." "What's happening?" "Crew:" "Hold it." "Well, if you don't cut to me, I can't do it." "You don't cut to me, I can't take the shot, can I?" "Well, I can give you the conventional truth, that I'm in love with june, all the more so because she loves me, because she's the only girl i've ever wanted to marry, beuse of her decency and loyalty, honesty," "and because I should want her for my wife if, instead of being an heiress, she hadn't a penny in the world." "Or I could tell you that at this stage of my career, it would be useful to marry money." "That at the very least, the connection with your family could only be of an advantage, and that I persuaded your charming granddaughter to fall in love with me simply towards that end." "Now the point is not which story is the true one, but which you choose to believe." "And tell me this, which are you most likely to believe, whatever I say?" "And that's why I call it an unfair question." "I am interested in one thing only, june's happiness and security." "And so am I." "Then so far we agree." "Crew:" "Right." "Okay." "It's jo, father." "Ah, there you are." "Where's helene?" "Upstairs with june." "The child fainted when your wife told her." "She's better now, but helene insisted on staying with her." "Yes, she would." "Well, did you see the man of property?" "Yes, I saw him." "I saw his wife, just for a moment." "Father?" "These are mine." "I didn't know that you..." "I picked them up from time to time, for a reasonable figure too, you don't charge much for your work." "Crew:" "Hold it, please." "Right, could we start the scene again, please?" "Yes, you saw the lamp going." "Nice, old, magic lamp." "Walking lamp." "Perhaps you'll play to me." "I should like to." "I'll follow you in a moment when I've found a cigar." "Crew:" "Cutting, please." "There's not much you can do, really, at this stage." "Did it go well?" "Yes, my love, I think I've captured it." "What about you?" "Are you feeling better?" "How's that migraine?" "Oh, much better, much, much better." "But tell me, what have you captured?" "Simplicity." "I don't understand." "Well, I'll try and expla now, when you start to paint in watercolor, you take a brush like this." "You wet it, and then you fill it with color, let's say chrome yellow." "By all means, jo, chrome yellow it is." "Then you lay the brush very quietly on the paper." "I'm sorry, but there's the most awful... something's happening." "I don't know what's going on." "Machinery going up and down." "Crew:" "Probably that side." "This has always been done this quiet and there's never been any noise before." "Machine's just suddenly noisier." "Noisier?" "It's a machine going." "We'll just finish the... before we start again..." "it's too noisy." "That's the noise, by the way." "Where's soames?" "Winifred:" "I don't know." "He's got his own affairs to attend to." "Oh, I'm terribly sorry." "I was waiting for..." "crew member:" "Yes, I'll walk in." "Right, once more." "Once more, I took it too early." "Took it too early, did you, darling?" "And let's have it quiet." "Where's" "I don't know." "He's got his own affairs to attend to." "Ah, there you are." "Dartie's gone to buenos aires." "So he has." "Didn at crumb's roulette party the other evening?" "Yes." "How'd you do?" "I didn't play." "I won 15 quid." "It's a rotten game, I think." "Oh, really?" "I rather like it." "As for that chap, crumb, I was at harrow with him." "Awful fool." "Too la-dee-da for me." "He's a friend of mine." "Oh." "Sorry." "Well, what do you do with yourself?" "Well, I ride a lot, joined the drag, that sort of thing." "Hope to play polo next time, if my granddad will stump up." "Unclme wha lik oholthan0 s, analwa tnkinhe'sng to be ed." "Th o I mus haveor money myrath dn' ll, mt ve be oy on wish the deuce I had more." "What do you think of the war?" "Rotten." "Why don't they come out and fight?" "Why should they?" "I rather admire them." "They can ride and shoot, but they're a lousy lot." "More coffee?" "No, thanks." "Your people coming up this turn?" "Oh, you've met them, haven't you?" "My father and sister are coming up next week." "Oh, good." "Perhaps you'd ask them if they want to see over B.N.C.," "Not that there's much to see, but... yeah, thanks." "Well, I'll ask them." "Would they lunch, I've got rather a decent scout?" "There won't be time." "Their two days are packed." "But you will ask them, though?" "Very good of you." "Well, I have to see my tutor." "Oh." "Look here, they're dining with me here on wednesday." "Perhaps you'd care to join us." "Oh, thanks awfully." "What time?" "7:30." "Dress?" "No." "Are your people coming up?" "Well, my sister imogen wants to, but mother..." "mother can't leave town at the moment." "It's rather a difficult situation." "Well, anyway... jolly good breakfast." "Very civil of you to ask me." "Cigarette?" "Thanks, no." "I'm in training." "My dear jolly, what for?" "Not football?" "Rowing." "Oh, good lord, but that's masochism." "It's what?" "New word." "It means getting hurt and enjoying it." "Look here." "Didn't I see you at crumb's roulette party the other evening?" "Yeah." "How'd you do?" "Well, I didn't play." "Hm, I won 15 quid." "It's a rotten game, I think." "Oh, really?" "I rather like it." "As for that chap crumb, I was at harrow with him." "Awful fool." "Too la-dee-da for me." "He's a friend of mine." "Oh." "Sorry." "Well, what do you do with yourself?" "Crew:" "Right." "Hold it." "Thank you very much." "Now pick it up and go onto the next scene, from..." ""very good of you." "I have to see my tutor."" "Just a minute." "Yes." "Oh, hold it." "Yes." "Ready." "Well, it was very good of you." "Cawe stop, please?" "I'm sorry, but I'm sure i was doing something else." "Why are you here?" "Didn't I make it quite plain last time?" "Irene, it's your birthday." "Is it?" "I brought you this." "Soames, no, I couldn'T." "Why not?" "Oh, god, sorry." "Can I put these down on a table or something?" "Who won?" "Oh, don't be an idiot." "Annette, have you anything of interest in the newspapers today?" "Crew:" "Cut it." "Sorry." "Had wings." "Hello, sir." "Heo, forsyte." "Oh, odfternoon." "I eve it's yr anniversary." "Yes." "Here." "Oh." "Don't know what you're going to do with it." "Open it for me, darling." "And I'll pour father some tea." "Coming to the board next tuesday, mont?" "Board?" "Yes." "P.P.R.S.?" "Is it on so soon?" "Yes." "Oh, nuisance." "I planned shooting the spinneys with michael." "That's why you should let the spinneys wait." "We've got to finish that annual report." "You say that somewhat uneasily." "I am uneasy." "Don't worry, my dear fellow." "Elderson's got everything under control." "Elderson has far too much control." "You know, if I'd realized the extent to which that fellow rules the roost, I'd... well, I doubt if I should have come on the board." "But, you surely can't mean that." "Elderson." "Oh, good lord." "His grandfather was my grandfather's agent at the time of the reform bill, put through the most corrupt election ever fought, bought every vote." "Great taste, forsyte, great taste." "Yes, and over." "I don't believe in trusting a man's vote as we fa... as we trust elderson'S." "But he's absolutely first-class." "We were at winchester together." "The fellow at mulberry with me." "He went into the army." "He absconded with the mess funds, and the colonel's wife." "Are you saying something?" "I'm expressing an uneasiness." "Sorry." "Can we start this again?" "I don't know what's wrong." "Sorry, I've gone wrong three times so far." "Crew:" "All right, jim." "Yes." "Where do you want to go back to, jim?" "My entrance, preferably." "Sorry about all that." "Crew:" "It's going so well in feeling, darling." "Is it?" "All right, quiet studio, we're ready to go any minute now." "What?" "Man:" "You're in shot slightly." "Yes, yes, of course I do." "I see you, you monster." "What?" "Well, yes, I am expecting my father any minute." "Is it...?" "Crew:" "Hold it there." "I see." "I can't, darling." "Once we're on it, you see, I can't get near enough him." "Right." "Start the dialogue, darling." "Are we running?" "All right, start the dialogue." "Yes, mrs." "Mont speaking." "I see you... and squeang?" "Silee r a ld tck." "All right." "Can we have a check on this recording please?" "How would you like to spend the rest of your days filling ink pots, eh?" "I don't intend to, sir." "Oh, ambitious, eh?" "Well, I want to get on." "Don't we all?" "Let me give tip, y 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 would like me to do it for you." "Hello?" "Butterfield speaking." "Yes, he is." "Yes, right-o, 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." "Shall we do it again?" "Yes." "No, we're not doing the whole thing." "Sorry." "From the top." "Sit down." "I'm ready." "Hear, hear." "Crew:" "I'm sorr you are the quietest thing in the... well, pity." "Right, thank you very much dears, that's all fine." "Nick is to come in on... right, yes, nick?" "Nick:" "Yes, right." "Crew:" "Yes, he is." "Are you telling the meeting that mr." "Elderson took bribes?" "Hear, hear." "Unlawful commission?" "That's theamin and are you saying it was known to the board over five months ago, four whole months before elderson absconded?" "And if this is the case, may i know why the board failed to take immediate action?" "Hear, hear." "Because, the board as a whole was not informed." "Not informed?" "The board was not informed?" "Why was the board not informed?" "Crew; cut it." "Cut it." "Yes." "Crew:" "From the top again, please." "Quite right." "That was going a bit too far." "Let mr." "Trevor get his first speech out." "Listen to the text, now." "React to the actual words you hear." "Right, standing by." "Once more, same place." "Do you mind?" "I've got the creeps down my back." "Of course not." "It's only thndetting no." "It's the spooks." "Am I too heavy?" "Oh, not at all." "Not at all." "English." "Doounow, you're the first english person I've ever met." "Are you disappointed?" "Not at all." "I've love to see england." "Our folks came over from there, 1700." "Worcestershire." "Crew:" "Start again." "Got a bit of a branch across your face." "I know." "Yeah." "All right." "Let's go back, now, to the spirits of the old indians, and cut there, okay?" "Sorry about that." "All right, are we ready?" "Ready to go now." "Scene, please, and then do this again." "Yes." "The shot we've just done." "Could you open the door a second?" "I'm sorry." "There's nothing i can say at the moment." "Yes, well, that hat will do." "Have you ever been couef no." "Well, the great thing is not to pay any attention to anybody, especially t now if you look at them, don't smile." "Why, aren't they safe?" "Oh, michael better sit on your left." "By the way, you and he have got over that business of not telling each other things?" "Yes." "Mm." "Good." "You know, he's very fond of you, you know." "Good morning." "Morning." "So... if you'll please wait here, I'll see when we're on." "Thank you." "Good morning." "Good morning, settlewhite." "Morning." "Good morning to you." "Why don't we settle now, alec?" "There's still time." "If they'll apologize, we will." "What about me?" "I don't want to stand up there and be shot at." "Two can play at that game." "Perhaps." "Better hedge, alec, you may take a toss over me." "I believe in you, more than you believe in yourself." "All right, then." "Let it rip." "At least we'll know where we all stand." "Now then, mr." "Greene, let us have this quite clear." "You were standing..." "David, sorry," "I wasn't aware that he had to rise at that point." "Yes." "Can you just be turning into it as if you've just stopped," "just arrived at this position?" "Right." "Both or just marjorie?" "If you would just walk in, sir." "Just the..." "yes, both of you walk in." "This is a re-take." "No." "Just a moment." "Alan, you would be here." "It's all the bit with foskus in the background." "Wouldn't it... we ought to go when they come in, surely." "Properly." "Yes, all of you coming into shot." "Could we go from 68?" "No, we won't, then." "With the reporter." "Yes, we'll go from 68, which is the gentleman reporter with his notebook, please." "Thank you." "Liked it so much they wanted to see it again." "Yes, we want to see it again." "No, we're not." "I shall tell you when we're ready, like I always do." "And chatter." "Mr. Mr mic mont." "Hello, mrs." "Magussie, how are you?" "Mr. And mrs." "Gordon jane." "What price for fat stock show?" "Bart, this isn't like you, mixing with the rich and famous." "You told me you were coming." "I wanted a word with you." "The case has ended, I see." "Yes, amid e shouts of the multitude." "Did you see the evening papers?" "I did." "Bart, we should have settled up and dropped the whole thing." "You're right." "Dropping things is the answer." "If I'd have dropped baronetcy in time, I could have made a good contortionist." "It's too late now." "I'm afraid so." "Bart, now the case is over, have you a tip to give us?" "When victorious, lie doggo." "You've been labeled moralists." "It may recoil on you." "At's what I feel." "You know, fleur's father said it was my hitting macgown on the boko that really brought the case into court." "The tax on luxuries." "Doorman:" "Miss marjorie ferrar." "Isn't that your late adversary?" "Yes." "Mr. Aubrey greene." "I must go to fleur." "Ie" "Hold it there." "Hold it there, please." "Thanks, awfully." "I knew you'd do it one day, jim." "All right." "Keep it quiet, please." "Let's go back to the top of this scene." "Well, michael?" "It's on." "Oh, what a bore." "Well, yes, duckie, but it's more than that." "I simply don't understand." "I mean, what's the point of having a commission and subsidies and all those meetings if they can't settle something?" "That's mere common sense." "No good at all." "Well, why not?" "Because both sides have to save face." "On one side, longer hours, less wages..." "on the other, not a minute more, not a shilling off." "Stalemate." "Saving face." "It caused the war, and it's causing the strike." "When I think of those miners and their children starving," "I want to weep." "When I think of their leaders, stiff-necked, old-fashioned, dyed-in-the-wool idiots," "I want to weep some more." "And as for our lot, when I think of them, I don't know what to do." "Don't we need a mussolini?" "God forbid, duckie." "We'll pay for his kind in the long run." "Look at diaz in mexico, or napoleon in france." "Or cromwell in england, for that matter." "But I thought that charles the second was rather a dear." "Oh, fleur." "That's better." "I thought for one dreadful minute yolostr see um you'll see to it that I don'T." "Well, I hope so." "Well, what will you do in the house?" "Ere wobe chtalkbo no, we'll just sit and glower at each other and use the word "formula" at stated intervals." "Do you know," "I came home by the park?" "It's astonishing." "Lorries and milk cars and tents everywhere." "Specials and volunteers, and at victoria's station, chaps in plus-fours manning signal boxes, and little clerks in striped trousers learning how to drive engines." "Really?" "Yes." "Of course, pickets everywhere, of course, but no eruptions." "Some trains will run tomorrow, though god help them all at clapham junction." "People say we can't organize." "Can't we just, after the event." "Michael, hm?" "Do you want to break the strike?" "We have to." "We all have to." "Oh." "Well, don't you see that?" "Well, yes, of course." "I'm only a little surprised that you do." "Yes." "Well, the country's life can't be strangled, no matter who's in the right." "Duckie, I've been thinking." "You got something that you want me to do?" "Well, I think so." "These railway volunteers, they'll want feeding." "We'll just start a canteen for them." "I mean, we'll have to get all kinds of people in to help, but it's your quick head that's needed, and your way with men." "All right." "Good." "Yes, I will." "It'll be pretty tough while it lasts." "I tell you one thing, duckie, there'll be less blood shed and more good humor than there could be anywhere else in the world." "Imogen, hello, dear." "Now are you and jack coming for me this evening?" "No, mother, we can'T." "Jack's been sworn in as a special." "Crew:" "Hold it there." "We've got to go back to the previous scene and do one more ta and then we've got to come back and do it all again." "We're going to do one more take in that scene, please." "Is it?" "Can we pick it up at" ""my dear girl"?" "Oh, I could, darn it." "Finish up on... which of the weepings is that?" "Well, I think the miners and the children starving." "Finish it there." "All right." "Okay?" "No, it's all off?" "In fact, it's absolutely at the most sodding difficult point because I'm midway through taking it off at that point." "Yes." "Thank you." "One of these very stiff and awkward collars to be put back on." "It really would be, because if I remember rightly, I was halfway through taking the tie off on the line you want me to start at." "Could we go back to the top of the scene and just run into there so that you can cut?" "Just to get the scene going properly, david." "We will run the dialogue from the top." "So we'll cue nick to come in through the door?" "Yes." "So we're just taking off one cut, right?" "Take the scene from the top." "Ten seconds too fast." "Yes, back again." "Yes, right." "Stop it." "Put it back on zero, we're still running, we'll have another go at it." "Ready?" "All right." "Let's stand by to do it again." "All right?" "Right." "Stand by." "Do it again." "Much the same speed as we had before." "Pointless wasting time we'll have another go at it." "Turn it down even further." "Right." "We ready?" "Yes." "How's that one behaving?" "All right." "Take that one away, we'll do the other one." "Go and play with that." "Try and get it to play for you."