LatethateveninghewrotetotheChelseaflat，askingifIrenewouldseehim。
　　Theoldcenturywhichhadseentheplantofindividualismflowersowonderfullywassettinginaskyorangewithcomingstorms。
　　RumoursofwaraddedtothebrisknessofaLondonturbulentatthecloseofthesummerholidays。AndthestreetstoJolyon，whowasnotoftenupintown，hadafeverishlook，duetothesenewmotor-
　　carsandcabs，ofwhichhedisapprovedaesthetically。Hecountedthesevehiclesfromhishansom，andmadetheproportionofthemoneintwenty。’Theywereoneinthirtyaboutayearago，’hethought；
　　’they’vecometostay。Justsomuchmorerattlingroundofwheelsandgeneralstink’——forhewasoneofthoseratherrareLiberalswhoobjecttoanythingnewwhenittakesamaterialform；andheinstructedhisdrivertogetdowntotheriverquickly，outofthetraffic，desiringtolookatthewaterthroughthemellowingscreenofplane-trees。AtthelittleblockofflatswhichstoodbacksomefiftyyardsfromtheEmbankment，hetoldthecabmantowait，andwentuptothefirstfloor。
　　Yes，Mrs。Heronwasathome！
　　Theeffectofasettledifverymodestincomewasatonceapparenttohimrememberingthethreadbarerefinementinthattinyflateightyearsagowhenheannouncedhergoodfortune。Everythingwasnowfresh，dainty，andsmelledofflowers。Thegeneraleffectwassilverywithtouchesofblack，hydrangeacolour，andgold。’A
　　womanofgreattaste，’hethought。TimehaddealtgentlywithJolyon，forhewasaForsyte。ButwithIreneTimehardlyseemedtodealatall，orsuchwashisimpression。Sheappearedtohimnotadayolder，standingthereinmole-colouredvelvetcorduroy，withsoftdarkeyesanddarkgoldhair，withoutstretchedhandandalittlesmile。”Won’tyousitdown?”
　　Hehadprobablyneveroccupiedachairwithafullersenseofembarrassment。”Youlookabsolutelyunchanged，”hesaid。”Andyoulookyounger，CousinJolyon。”
　　Jolyonranhishandsthroughhishair，whosethicknesswasstillacomforttohim。”I’mancient，butIdon’tfeelit。That’sonethingaboutpaint-
　　ing，itkeepsyouyoung。Titianlivedtoninety-nine，andhadtohaveplaguetokillhimoff。Doyouknow，thefirsttimeIeversawyouIthoughtofapicturebyhim?””Whendidyouseemeforthefirsttime?””IntheBotanicalGardens。””Howdidyouknowme，ifyou’dneverseenmebefore?””Bysomeonewhocameuptoyou。”Hewaslookingatherhardily，butherfacedidnotchange；andshesaidquietly：”Yes；manylivesago。””Whatisyourrecipeforyouth，Irene?””Peoplewhodon’tlivearewonderfullypreserved。”
　　H’m！abitterlittlesaying！Peoplewhodon’tlive！Butanopening，andhetookit。”YouremembermyCousinSoames?”
　　Hesawhersmilefaintlyatthatwhimsicality，andatoncewenton：”Hecametoseemethedaybeforeyesterday！Hewantsadivorce。
　　Doyou?””I?”Thewordseemedstartledoutofher。”Aftertwelveyears?
　　It’sratherlate。Won’titbedifficult?”
　　Jolyonlookedhardintoherface。”Unless……”hesaid。”UnlessIhavealovernow。ButIhaveneverhadonesince。”
　　Whatdidhefeelatthesimplicityandcandourofthosewords?
　　Relief，surprise，pity！Venusfortwelveyearswithoutalover！”Andyet，”hesaid，”Isupposeyouwouldgiveagooddealtobefree，too?””Idon’tknow。Whatdoesitmatter，now?””Butifyouweretoloveagain?””Ishouldlove。”Inthatsimpleanswersheseemedtosumupthewholephilosophyofoneonwhomtheworldhadturneditsback。”Well！Isthereanythingyouwouldlikemetosaytohim?””OnlythatI’msorryhe’snotfree。Hehadhischanceonce。I
　　don’tknowwhyhedidn’ttakeit。””BecausehewasaForsyte；weneverpartwiththings，youknow，unlesswewantsomethingintheirplace；andnotalwaysthen。”
　　Irenesmiled。”Don’tyou，CousinJolyon?——Ithinkyoudo。””Ofcourse，I’mabitofamongrel——notquiteapureForsyte。I
　　nevertakethehalfpenniesoffmycheques，Iputthemon，”saidJolyonuneasily。”Well，whatdoesSoameswantinplaceofmenow?””Idon’tknow；perhapschildren。”
　　Shewassilentforalittle，lookingdown。”Yes，”shemurmured；”it’shard。IwouldhelphimtobefreeifI
　　could。”
　　Jolyongazedintohishat，hisembarrassmentwasincreasingfast；
　　sowashisadmiration，hiswonder，andhispity。Shewassolovely，andsolonely；andaltogetheritwassuchacoil！”Well，”hesaid，”IshallhavetoseeSoames。Ifthere’sanythingIcandoforyouI’malwaysatyourservice。Youmustthinkofmeasawretchedsubstituteformyfather。AtalleventsI’llletyouknowwhathappenswhenIspeaktoSoames。Hemaysupplythematerialhimself。”
　　Sheshookherhead。”Yousee，hehasalottolose；andIhavenothing。Ishouldlikehimtobefree；butIdon’tseewhatIcando。””NorIatthemoment，”saidJolyon，andsoonaftertookhisleave。
　　Hewentdowntohishansom。Half-pastthree！Soameswouldbeathisofficestill。”TothePoultry，”hecalledthroughthetrap。InfrontoftheHousesofParliamentandinWhitehall，newsvendorswerecalling，”GravesituationintheTransvaal！”butthecrieshardlyrousedhim，absorbedinrecollectionofthatverybeautifulfigure，ofhersoftdarkglance，andthewords：”Ihaveneverhadonesince。”
　　Whatonearthdidsuchawomandowithherlife，back-wateredlikethis?Solitary，unprotected，witheveryman’shandagainstherorrather——reachingouttograspherattheleastsign。Andyearafteryearshewentonlikethat！
　　Theword’Poultry’abovethepassingcitizensbroughthimbacktoreality。
　　’Forsyte，BustardandForsyte，’inblacklettersonagroundthecolourofpeasoup，spurredhimtoasortofvigour，andhewentupthestonestairsmuttering：”Fustymustyownerships！Well，wecouldn’tdowithoutthem！””IwantMr。SoamesForsyte，”hesaidtotheboywhoopenedthedoor。”Whatname?””Mr。JolyonForsyte。”
　　Theyouthlookedathimcuriously，neverhavingseenaForsytewithabeard，andvanished。
　　Theofficesof’Forsyte，BustardandForsyte’hadslowlyabsorbedtheofficesof’TootingandBowles，’andoccupiedthewholeofthefirstfloor。
　　ThefirmconsistednowofnothingbutSoamesandanumberofmanagingandarticledclerks。ThecompleteretirementofJamessomesixyearsagohadacceleratedbusiness，towhichthefinaltouchofspeedhadbeenimpartedwhenBustarddroppedoff，wornout，asmanybelieved，bythesuitof’FryerversusForsyte，’moreinChancerythaneverandlesslikelytobenefititsbeneficiaries。
　　Soames，withhissanergraspofactualities，hadneverpermittedittoworryhim；onthecontrary，hehadlongperceivedthatProvidencehadpresentedhimthereinwithL200ayearnetinperpetuity，and——whynot?
　　WhenJolyonentered，hiscousinwasdrawingoutalistofholdingsinConsols，whichinviewoftherumoursofwarhewasgoingtoadvisehiscompaniestoputonthemarketatonce，beforeothercompaniesdidthesame。Helookedround，sidelong，andsaid：”Howareyou?Justoneminute。Sitdown，won’tyou?”Andhavingenteredthreeamounts，andsetarulertokeephisplace，heturnedtowardsJolyon，bitingthesideofhisflatforefinger……”Yes?”hesaid。”Ihaveseenher。”