‘It’s Dad’s. His is grey inside. Bart’s is buff.’
In the Chinese room Soames indeed was discovered, with an opened letter, and Ting-a-ling at his feet. He held the letter out to Michael, without a word.
There was no date, and no address; Michael read:
DEAR MR FORSYTE. – Perhaps you will be good enough to tell the Board at the meeting on Tuesday that I am on my way to immunity from the consequences of any peccadillo I may have been guilty of. By the time you receive this, I shall be there. I have always held that the secret of life, no less than that of business, is to know when not to stop. It will be no use to proceed against me, for my person will not be attachable, as I believe you call it in the law, and I have left no property behind. If your object was to corner me, I cannot congratulate you on your tactics. If, on the other hand, you inspired that young man’s visit as a warning that you were still pursuing the matter, I should like to add new thanks to those which I expressed when I saw you a few days ago.
Believe me, dear Mr Forsyte,
Faithfully yours,
ROBERT ELDERSON.
Michael said cheerfully:
‘Happy release! Now you’ll feel safer, sir.’
Soames passed his hand over his face, evidently wiping off its expression. ‘We’ll discuss it later,’ he said. ‘This dog’s been keeping me company.’
Michael admired him at that moment. He was obviously swallowing his ‘grief, to save Fleur.
‘Fleur’s a bit tired,’ he said. ‘We’ve been on the river, and had tea at “The Shelter”; Madame wasn’t in. Let’s have dinner at once, Fleur.’
Fleur had picked up Ting-a-ling, and was holding her face out of reach of his avid tongue.
‘Sorry you’ve had to wait, Dad,’ she murmured, behind the yellow fur; ‘I’m just going to wash; shan’t change.’
When she had gone, Soames reached for the letter.
‘A pretty kettle of fish!’ he muttered. ‘Where it’ll end, I can’t tell!’
‘But isn’t this the end, sir?’
Soames stared. These young people! Here he was, faced with a public scandal, which might lead to he didn’t know what – the loss of his name in the city, the loss of his fortune, perhaps; and they took it as if –! They had no sense of responsibility – none! All his father’s power of seeing the worst, all James’ nervous pessimism, had come to the fore in him during the hour since, at the Connoisseur’s Club, he had been handed that letter. Only the extra ‘form’ of the generation that succeeded James saved him, now that Fleur was out of the room, from making an exhibition of his fears.
‘Your father in town?’
‘I believe so, sir.’
‘Good!’ Not that he felt relief. That baronet chap was just as irresponsible – getting him to go on that Board! It all came of mixing with people brought up in a sort of incurable levity, with no real feeling for money.
‘Now that Elderson’s levanted,’ he said, ‘the whole thing must come out. Here’s his confession in my hand –’
‘Why not tear it up, sir, and say Elderson has developed consumption?’
The impossibility of getting anything serious from this young man afflicted Soames like the eating of heavy pudding.
‘You think that would be honourable?’ he said grimly.
‘Sorry, sir!’ said Michael, sobered. ‘Can I help at all?’
‘Yes; by dropping your levity, and taking care to keep wind of this matter away from Fleur.’
‘I will,’ said Michael earnestly: ‘I promise you. I’ll Dutch-oyster the whole thing. What’s your line going to be?’
‘We shall have to call the shareholders together and explain this dicky-dealing. They’ll very likely take it in bad part.’
‘I can’t see why they should. How could you have helped it?’
Soames sniffed.
‘There’s no connexion in life between reward and your deserts. If the war hasn’t taught you that, nothing will.’
‘Well,’ said Michael, ‘Fleur will be down directly. If you’ll excuse me a minute; we’ll continue it in our next.’
Their next did not occur till Fleur had gone to bed.
‘Now, sir,’ said Michael, ‘I expect my governor’s at the Aeroplane. He goes there and meditates on the end of the world. Would you like me to ring him up, if your Board meeting’s tomorrow?’
Soames nodded. He himself would not sleep a wink – why should ‘Old Mont’?
Michael went to the Chinese tea-chest.
‘Bart? This is Michael. Old For – my father-in-law is here; he’s had a pill…. No; Elderson. Could you blow in by any chance and hear?… He’s coming, sir. Shall we stay down, or go up to my study?’