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The Forsyte Saga, Volume 3(285)

By:John Galsworthy


‘You should know, dear.’

‘As a matter of fact, Dinny, I believe mine was the really revolutionary generation. You saw that play about Browning? There you had it; but that was all gone before I went to Sandhurst. We thought as we liked, and we acted as we thought, but we still didn’t talk. Now they talk before they think, and when it comes to action, they act much as we did, if they act at all. In fact, the chief difference between now and fifty years ago is the freedom of expression; it’s so free now, that it takes the salt out of things.’

‘That’s profound, Dad.’

‘But not new; I’ve read it a dozen times.’

‘ “You don’t think the war had any great influence, then, sir?” They always ask that in interviews.’

‘The war? Its influence is pretty well over by now. Besides, the people of my generation were already too set. The next generation was wiped or knocked out –’

‘Not the females.’

‘No, they ran riot a bit, but they weren’t really in the thing. As for your generation, the war’s a word.’

‘Well, thank you dear,’ said Dinny. ‘It’s been very instructive, but it’s going to hail. Come along, Foch!’

The General turned up the collar of his coat and crossed over to the carpenter who had cut his thumb. Dinny saw him examining the bandage. She saw the carpenter smile, and her father pat him on the shoulder.

‘His men must have liked him,’ she thought. ‘He may be an old buffer, but he’s a nice one.’





Chapter Twenty-eight




IF Art is long, Law is longer. The words Corven v. Corven and Croom rewarded no eye scanning the Cause List in The Times newspaper. Undefended suits in vast numbers occupied the attention of Mr Justice Covell. At Dornford’s invitation Dinny and Clare came to the entrance of his court, and stood for five minutes just inside, as members of a cricket team will go and inspect a pitch before playing in a match. The judge sat so low that little but his face could be seen; but Dinny noticed that above Clare’s head in the witness-box would be a sort of canopy, or protection from rain.

‘If,’ said Dornford, as they came out, ‘you stand well back, Clare, your face will be hardly visible. But your voice you should pitch so that it always carries to the judge. He gets grumpy if he can’t hear.’

It was on the day after this that Dinny received a note delivered by hand at South Square.

Burton’s Club: 13.iv.32.

DEAR DINNY

I should be very glad if I could see you for a few minutes. Name your own time and place and I will be there. Needless to say it concerns Clare.

Sincerely yours,

GERALD CORVEN



Michael was out, but she consulted Fleur.

‘I should certainly see him, Dinny. It may be a death-bed repentance. Let him come here when you know Clare will be out.’

‘I don’t think I’ll risk his seeing her. I’d rather meet him somewhere in the open.’

‘Well, there’s the Achilles, or the Rima.’

‘The Rima,’ said Dinny. ‘We can walk away from it.’

She appointed the following afternoon at three o’clock, and continued to wonder what he wanted.

The day was an oasis of warmth in that bleak April. Arriving at the Rima, she saw him at once, leaning against the railing with his back to that work of art. He was smoking a cigarette through a short well-coloured holder in meerschaum, and looked so exactly as when she had seen him last that, for no reason, she received a sort of shock.

He did not offer to take her hand.

‘Very good of you to come, Dinny. Shall we stroll and talk as we go?’

They walked towards the Serpentine.

‘About this case,’ said Corven, suddenly, ‘I don’t want to bring it a bit, you know.’

She stole a look at him.

‘Why do you, then? The charges are not true.’

‘I’m advised that they are.’

‘The premises may be; the conclusions, no.’

‘If I withdraw the thing, will Clare come back to me, on her own terms?’

‘I can ask her, but I don’t think so. I shouldn’t myself.’

‘What an implacable family!’

Dinny did not answer.

‘Is she in love with this young Croom?’

‘I can’t discuss their feelings, if they have any.’

‘Can’t we speak frankly, Dinny? There’s no one to hear us except those ducks.’

‘Claiming damages has not improved our feelings towards you.’

‘Oh! that! I’m willing to withdraw everything, and risk her having kicked over if she’ll come back.’

‘In other words,’ said Dinny, gazing straight before her, ‘the case you have framed – I believe that is the word – is a sort of blackmailing device.’