The Forsyte Saga, Volume 3(166)

‘Oh!’ said Hilary blankly. ‘Justification? That’s a mistake.’

‘That’s what Michael says. I don’t know whether it is or not; I think in the end – not. Anyway, it’s coming out.’

‘There beginneth a real dog-fight. “Turn the other cheek” and “too proud to fight” would have been better left unsaid. All the same, it’s asking for trouble, and that’s all about it.’

‘I can’t help it, Uncle.’

‘I realize that, Dinny; it’s when I think of the number of things you won’t be able to help that I feel so blue. And what about Condaford? Is it going to cut you off from that?’

‘People do come round, except in novels; and even there they have to in the end, or else die, so that the heroine may be happy. Will you say a word for us to Father if you see him, Uncle?’

‘No, Dinny. An elder brother never forgets how superior he was to you when he was big and you were not.’

Dinny rose.

‘Well, Uncle; thank you ever so for not believing in damnation, and even more for not saying so. I shall remember all you’ve said. Tuesday, one o’clock at the main entrance; and don’t forget to eat something first; it’s a very tiring business.’

When she had gone Hilary refilled his pipe.

‘ “And even more for not saying so!” ’ he repeated in thought. ‘That young woman can be caustic. I wonder how often I say things I don’t mean in the course of my professional duties.’ And, seeing his wife in the doorway, he added:

‘May, would you say I was a humbug – professionally?’

‘Yes, dear. How could it be otherwise?’

‘You mean, the forms a parson uses aren’t broad enough to cover the variations of human nature? But I don’t see how they could be. Would you like to go to the Chelsea Flower Show on Tuesday?’

Mrs Hilary, thinking: ‘Dinny might have asked me,’ replied cheerfully: ‘Very much.’

‘Let’s try and arrange so that we can get there at one o’clock.’

‘Did you talk to her about her affair?’

‘Yes.’

‘Is she immovable?’

‘Quite.’

Mrs Hilary sighed. ‘It’s an awful pity. Do you think a man could ever live that down?’

‘Twenty years ago I should have said “No”. Now I’m not sure. It seems a queer thing to say, but it’s not the really religious people who’ll matter.’

‘Why?’

‘Because they won’t come across them. It’s the army, and Empire people, and Englishmen overseas, whom they will come across continually. The hub of unforgiveness is in her own family to start with. It’s the yellow label. The gum they use putting that on is worse than the patent brand of any hotel that wants to advertise itself.’

‘I wonder,’ said Mrs Hilary, ‘what the children would say about it?’

‘Queer that we don’t know.’

‘We know less about our children than any of their friends do. Were we like that to our own elders, I wonder?’

‘Our elders looked on us as biological specimens; they had us at an angle, and knew quite a lot about us. We’ve tried to put ourselves on a level with our youngsters, elder brother and sister business, and we don’t know a thing. We’ve missed the one knowledge, and haven’t got the other. A bit humiliating, but they’re a decent crowd. It’s not the young people I’m afraid of in Dinny’s business, it’s those who’ve had experience of the value of English prestige, and they’ll be justified; and those who like to think he’s done a thing they wouldn’t have done themselves – and they won’t be justified a bit.’

‘I think Dinny’s over-estimating her strength, Hilary.’

‘No woman really in love could do otherwise. To find out whether she is or not will be her job. Well, she won’t rust.’

‘You speak as if you rather liked it.’

‘The milk is spilled, and it’s no good worrying. Let’s get down to the wording of that new appeal. There’s going to be a bad trade slump. Just our luck! All the people who’ve got money will be sticking to it.’

‘I wish people wouldn’t be less extravagant when times are bad. It only means less work still. The shopkeepers are moaning about that already.’

Hilary reached for a notebook and began writing. His wife looked over his shoulder presently and read:

To all whom it may concern:

And whom does it not concern that there should be in our midst thousands of people so destitute from birth to death of the bare necessities of life that they don’t know what real cleanliness, real health, real fresh air, real good food are?