The Forsyte Saga, Volume 3 by John Galsworthy

Author:John Galsworthy
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780141958736
Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd
Published: 2009-10-30T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Sixteen

DINNY took her lover to Adrian’s door at the museum the next day, and left him there. Looking round at his tall, hatless, girt-in figure, she saw him give a violent shiver. But he smiled, and even at that distance she felt warmed by his eyes.

Adrian, already notified, received the young man with what he stigmatized to himself as ‘morbid curiosity’, and placed him at once in mental apposition to Dinny. A curiously diverse couple they would make! Yet, with a perception not perhaps unconnected with the custody of skeletons, he had a feeling that his niece was not physically in error. This was a figure that could well stand or lie beside her. Its stringy grace and bony gallantry accorded with her style and slenderness; and the darkened face, with its drawn and bitter lines, had eyes which even Adrian, who had all the public-school-man’s impatience of male film stars, could see would be attractive to the feminine gender. Bones broke the ice to some degree; and over the identity of a supposed Hittite in moderate preservation they became almost cordial. Places and people whom they had both seen in strange conditions were a further incentive to human feeling. But not till he had taken up his hat to go did Wilfrid say suddenly:

‘Well, Mr Cherrell, what would you do?’

Adrian, who was looking up, halted and considered his questioner with narrowed eyes.

‘I’m a poor hand at advice, but Dinny is a precious baggage – ’

‘She is.’

Adrian bent and shut the door of a cabinet.

‘This morning,’ he said, ‘I watched a solitary ant in my bathroom trying to make its way and find out about things. I’m sorry to say I dropped some ashes from my pipe on it to see what it would do. Providence all over – always dropping ashes from its pipe on us to observe the result. I’ve been in several minds, but I’ve come to the conclusion that if you’re really in love with Dinny –’ a convulsive movement of Wilfrid’s body ended in the tight clenching of his hands on his hat – ‘as I see you are, and as I know her to be with you, then stand fast and work your way with her through the ashes. She’d rather be in the cart with you than in a Pullman with the rest of us. I believe’ – and Adrian’s face was illuminated by earnestness – ‘that she is one of those of whom it is not yet written, “and they twain shall be one spirit”.’ The young man’s face quivered.

‘Genuine!’ thought Adrian.

‘So think first of her, but not in the “I love you so that nothing will induce me to marry you” fashion. Do what she wants – when she wants it – she’s not unreasonable. And, honestly, I don’t believe you’ll either of you regret it.’

Desert took a step towards him, and Adrian could see that he was intensely moved. But he mastered all expression, save a little jerky smile, made a movement of one hand, turned, and went out.

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