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"TheysayTimothy’ssinking;"hesaidglumly。
"Wherewillyouputhim，Soames？"
"Highgate。"Hecountedonhisfingers。"It’llmaketwelveofthemthere，includingwives。HowdoyouthinkFleurlooks？"
"Remarkablywell。"
Soamesnodded。Hehadneverseenherlookprettier，yethecouldnotridhimselfoftheimpressionthatthisbusinesswasunnatural——
rememberingstillthatcrushedfigureburrowingintothecornerofthesofa。Fromthatnighttothisdayhehadreceivedfromhernoconfidences。HeknewfromhischauffeurthatshehadmadeonemoreattemptonRobinHillanddrawnblank——anemptyhouse，nooneathome。Heknewthatshehadreceivedaletter，butnotwhatwasinit，exceptthatithadmadeherhideherselfandcry。Hehadremarkedthatshelookedathimsometimeswhenshethoughthewasn’tnoticing，asifshewerewonderingstillwhathehaddone——forsooth——
tomakethosepeoplehatehimso。Well，thereitwas！Annettehadcomeback，andthingshadwornonthroughthesummer——verymiserable，tillsuddenlyFleurhadsaidshewasgoingtomarryyoungMont。Shehadshownhimalittlemoreaffectionwhenshetoldhimthat。Andhehadyielded——whatwasthegoodofopposingit？Godknewthathehadneverwishedtothwartherinanything！Andtheyoungmanseemedquitedeliriousabouther。Nodoubtshewasinarecklessmood，andshewasyoung，absurdlyyoung。Butifheopposedher，hedidn’tknowwhatshewoulddo;forallhecouldtellshemightwanttotakeupaprofession，becomeadoctororsolicitor，somenonsense。Shehadnoaptitudeforpainting，writing，music，inhisviewthelegitimateoccupationsofunmarriedwomen，iftheymustdosomethinginthesedays。Onthewhole，shewassafermarried，forhecouldseetoowellhowfeverishandrestlessshewasathome。Annette，too，hadbeeninfavourofit——Annette，frombehindtheveilofhisrefusaltoknowwhatshewasabout，ifshewasaboutanything。Annettehadsaid:
"Lethermarrythisyoungman。Heisaniceboy——notsohighty—
flightyasheseems。"Whereshegotherexpressions，hedidn’tknow—
—butheropinionsoothedhisdoubts。Hiswife，whateverherconduct，hadcleareyesandanalmostdepressingamountofcommonsense。HehadsettledfiftythousandonFleur，takingcarethattherewasnocrosssettlementincaseitdidn’tturnoutwell。Coulditturnoutwell？Shehadnotgotoverthatotherboy——heknew。TheyweretogotoSpainforthehoneymoon。Hewouldbeevenlonelierwhenshewasgone。Butlater，perhaps，shewouldforget，andturntohimagain！
Winifred’svoicebrokeonhisreverie。
"Why！Ofallwonders—June！"
There，inadjibbah——whatthingsshewore！——withherhairstrayingfromunderafillet，Soamessawhiscousin，andFleurgoingforwardtogreether。Thetwopassedfromtheirviewoutontothestairway。
"Really，"saidWinifred，"shedoesthemostimpossiblethings！Fancyhercoming！"
"Whatmadeyouaskher？"mutteredSoames。
"BecauseIthoughtshewouldn’taccept，ofcourse。"
Winifredhadforgottenthatbehindconductliesthemaintrendofcharacter;or，inotherwords，omittedtorememberthatFleurwasnowa"lameduck。"
Onreceivingherinvitation，Junehadfirstthought，’Iwouldn’tgonearthemfortheworld！’andthen，onemorning，hadawakenedfromadreamofFleurwavingtoherfromaboatwithawildunhappygesture。
Andshehadchangedhermind。
WhenFleurcameforwardandsaidtoher，"DocomeupwhileI’mchangingmydress，"shehadfollowedupthestairs。ThegirlledthewayintoImogen’soldbedroom，setreadyforhertoilet。
Junesatdownonthebed，thinandupright，likealittlespiritinthesearandyellow。Fleurlockedthedoor。
Thegirlstoodbeforeherdivestedofherweddingdress。Whataprettythingshewas"Isupposeyouthinkmeafool，"shesaid，withquiveringlips，"whenitwastohavebeenJon。Butwhatdoesitmatter？Michaelwantsme，andIdon’tcare。It’llgetmeawayfromhome。"Divingherhandintothefrillsonherbreast，shebroughtoutaletter。"Jonwrotemethis。"
Juneread:"LakeOkanagen，BritishColumbia。I’mnotcomingbacktoEngland。Blessyoualways。Jon。"
"She’smadesafe，yousee，"saidFleur。
Junehandedbacktheletter。
"That’snotfairtoIrene，"shesaid，"shealwaystoldJonhecoulddoashewished。"
Fleursmiledbitterly。"Tellme，didn’tshespoilyourlifetoo？"
Junelookedup。"Nobodycanspoilalife，mydear。That’snonsense。
Thingshappen，butwebobup。"
Withasortofterrorshesawthegirlsinkonherkneesandburyherfaceinthedjibbah。AstrangledsobmountedtoJune’sears。
"It’sallright——allright，"shemurmured，"Don’t！There，there！"
Butthepointofthegirl’schinwaspressedevercloserintoherthigh，andthesoundwasdreadfulofhersobbing。
Well，well！Ithadtocome。Shewouldfeelbetterafterward！Junestrokedtheshorthairofthatshapelyhead;andallthescatteredmother—senseinherfocusseditselfandpassedthroughthetipsofherfingersintothegirl’sbrain。
"Don’tsitdownunderit，mydear，"shesaidatlast。"Wecan’tcontrollife，butwecanfightit。Makethebestofthings。I’vehadto。Iheldon，likeyou;andIcried，asyou’recryingnow。Andlookatme！"
Fleurraisedherhead;asobmergedsuddenlyintoalittlechokedlaugh。Intruthitwasathinandratherwildandwastedspiritshewaslookingat，butithadbraveeyes。
"Allright！"shesaid。"I’msorry。Ishallforgethim，Isuppose，ifIflyfastandfarenough。"
And，scramblingtoherfeet，shewentovertothewash—stand。
Junewatchedherremovingwithcoldwaterthetracesofemotion。
Saveforalittlebecomingpinknesstherewasnothingleftwhenshestoodbeforethemirror。Junegotoffthebedandtookapin—cushioninherhand。Toputtwopinsintothewrongplaceswasalltheventshefoundforsympathy。
"Givemeakiss，"shesaidwhenFleurwasready，anddugherchinintothegirl’swarmcheek。
"Iwantawhiff，"saidFleur;"don’twait。"
Junelefther，sittingonthebedwithacigarettebetweenherlipsandhereyeshalfclosed，andwentdown—stairs。Inthedoorwayofthedrawing—roomstoodSoamesasifunquietathisdaughter’stardiness。Junetossedherheadandpasseddownontothehalf—
landing。HercousinFranciewasstandingthere。
"Look！"saidJune，pointingwithherchinatSoames。"Thatman’sfatal！"
"Howdoyoumean，"saidFrancie，"fatal？"
Junedidnotanswerher。"Ishan’twaittoseethemoff，"shesaid。
"Good—bye！"
"Good—bye！"saidFrancie，andhereyes，ofaCelticgrey，goggled。
Thatoldfeud！Really，itwasquiteromantic！
Soames，movingtothewellofthestaircase，sawJunego，anddrewabreathofsatisfaction。Whydidn’tFleurcome？Theywouldmisstheirtrain。Thattrainwouldbearherawayfromhim，yethecouldnothelpfidgetingatthethoughtthattheywouldloseit。Andthenshedidcome，runningdowninhertan—colouredfrockandblackvelvetcap，andpassedhimintothedrawing—room。Hesawherkisshermother，heraunt，Val’swife，Imogen，andthencomeforth，quickandprettyasever。Howwouldshetreathimatthislastmomentofhergirlhood？Hecouldn’thopeformuch！
Herlipspressedthemiddleofhischeek。
"Daddy！"shesaid，andwaspastandgone！Daddy！Shehadn’tcalledhimthatforyears。Hedrewalongbreathandfollowedslowlydown。
Therewasallthefollywiththatconfettistuffandtherestofittogothroughwithyet。Buthewouldlikejusttocatchhersmile，ifsheleanedout，thoughtheywouldhitherintheeyewiththeshoe，iftheydidn’ttakecare。YoungMont’svoicesaidferventlyinhisear:
"Good—bye，sir;andthankyou！I’msofearfullybucked。"
"Good—bye，"hesaid;"don’tmissyourtrain。"
Hestoodonthebottomstepbutthree，whencehecouldseeabovetheheads——thesillyhatsandheads。Theywereinthecarnow;andtherewasthatstuff，showering，andtherewenttheshoe。AfloodofsomethingwelledupinSoames，and——hedidn’tknow——hecouldn’tsee！
XI
THELASTOFTHEOLDFORSYTES
WhentheycametopreparethatterrificsymbolTimothyForsyte——theonepureindividualistleft，theonlymanwhohadn’theardoftheGreatWar——theyfoundhimwonderful——notevendeathhadunderminedhissoundness。
ToSmitherandCookthatpreparationcamelikefinalevidenceofwhattheyhadneverbelievedpossible——theendoftheoldForsytefamilyonearth。PoorMr。TimothymustnowtakeaharpandsinginthecompanyofMissForsyte，Mrs。Julia，MissHester;withMr。Jolyon，Mr。Swithin，Mr。James，Mr。Roger，andMr。Nicholasoftheparty。
WhetherMrs。Haymanwouldbetherewasmoredoubtful，seeingthatshehadbeencremated。SecretlyCookthoughtthatMr。Timothywouldbeupset——hehadalwaysbeensosetagainstbarrelorgans。Howmanytimeshadshenotsaid:"Dratthething！Thereitisagain！
Smither，you’dbetterrunupandseewhatyoucando。"Andinherheartshewouldsohaveenjoyedthetunes，ifshehadn’tknownthatMr。Timothywouldringthebellinaminuteandsay:"Here，takehimahalfpennyandtellhimtomoveon。"Oftentheyhadbeenobligedtoaddthreepenceoftheirownbeforethemanwouldgo——Timothyhadeverunderratedthevalueofemotion。Luckilyhehadtakentheorgansforblue—bottlesinhislastyears，whichhadbeenacomfort，andtheyhadbeenabletoenjoythetunes。Butaharp！Cookwondered。Itwasachange！AndMr。Timothyhadneverlikedchange。ButshedidnotspeakofthistoSmither，whodidsotakealineofherowninregardtoheaventhatitquiteputoneaboutsometimes。
ShecriedwhileTimothywasbeingprepared，andtheyallhadsherryafterwardoutoftheyearlyChristmasbottle，whichwouldnotbeneedednow。Ah！dear！Shehadbeentherefive—and—fortyyearsandSmitherthree—and—forty！AndnowtheywouldbegoingtoatinyhouseinTooting，toliveontheirsavingsandwhatMissHesterhadsokindlyleftthem——fortotakefreshserviceafterthegloriouspast——
No！ButtheywouldlikejusttoseeMr。Soamesagain，andMrs。
Dartie，andMissFrancie，an
