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The Forsyte Saga, Volume 3(88)

By:John Galsworthy


Adrian met them in the hall of the hotel at Chichester, and she took her chance to say: ‘Uncle, can I speak to you and Uncle Hilary privately?’

‘Hilary had to go back to Town, my dear, but he’ll be down the last thing this evening; we can have a talk then. The inquest’s tomorrow.’

With that she had to be content.

When he had finished his story, determined that Adrian should not take Diana to see Ferse, she said: ‘If you’ll tell us where to go, Uncle, I’ll go with Diana.’

Adrian nodded. He had understood.

When they reached the mortuary, Diana went in alone, and Dinny waited in a corridor which smelled of disinfectant and looked out on to a back street. A fly, disenchanted by the approach of winter, was crawling dejectedly up the pane. Gazing out into that colourless back alley, under a sky drained of all warmth and light, she felt very miserable. Life seemed exceptionally bleak, and heavy with sinister issues. This inquest, Hubert’s impending fate – no light or sweetness anywhere! Not even the thought of Alan’s palpable devotion gave her comfort.

She turned to see Diana again beside her, and, suddenly forgetting her own woe, threw an arm round her and kissed her cold cheek. They went back to the hotel without speaking, except for Diana’s: ‘He looked marvellously calm.’

She went early to her room after dinner, and sat there with a book, waiting for her uncles. It was ten o’clock before Hilary’s cab drew up, and a few minutes later they came. She noted how shadowy and worn they both looked; but there was something reassuring in their faces. They were the sort who ran till they dropped, anyway. They both kissed her with unexpected warmth, and sat down sideways, one on each side of her bed. Dinny stood between them at the foot and addressed Hilary.

‘It’s about Uncle Adrian, Uncle. I’ve been thinking. This inquest is going to be horrid if we don’t take care.’

‘It is, Dinny. I came down with a couple of journalists who didn’t suspect my connexion. They’ve got hold of the mental home, and are all agog. I’ve a great respect for journalists, they do their job very thoroughly.’

Dinny addressed Adrian.

‘You won’t mind my talking freely, will you, Uncle?’

Adrian smiled ‘No, Dinny. You’re a loyal baggage; go ahead!’

‘It seems to me then,’ she went on, plaiting her fingers on the bed-rail, ‘that the chief point is to keep Uncle Adrian’s friendship for Diana out of it, and I thought that the asking of you two to find him ought to be put entirely on to me. You see, I was the last person known to speak to him, when he cut the telephone wire, you know, so, when I’m called, I could get it into their minds that you were entirely my suggestion, as a couple of Uncles who were clever and good at crossword puzzles. Otherwise, why did we go to Uncle Adrian? Because he was such a friend, and then you’d get at once all that they may think that means, especially when they hear that Captain Ferse was away four years.’

There was silence before Hilary said:

‘She’s wise, old boy. Four years’ friendship with a beautiful woman in a husband’s absence means only one thing with a jury, and many things with the Public.’

Adrian nodded. ‘But I don’t see how the fact that I’ve known them both so long can be concealed.’

‘First impressions,’ said Dinny eagerly, ‘will be everything. I can say that Diana suggested going to her doctor and Michael, but that I overruled her, knowing that you were marvellous at tracing things out because of your job, and could get at Uncle Hilary, who was so good at human nature. If we start them right, I don’t believe the mere fact that you knew both of them would matter. It seems to me awfully important that I should be called as early as possible.’

‘It’s putting a lot on you, my dear.’

‘Oh! no. If I’m not called before you and Uncle Hilary, will you both say that it was I who came and asked you, and I can rub it in afterwards?’

‘After the doctor and the police, Diana will be the first witness.’

‘Yes, but I can speak to her, so that we shall all be saying the same thing.’

Hilary smiled. ‘I don’t see why not, it’s very white lying. I can put in that I’ve known them as long as you, Adrian. We both met Diana first at that picnic Lawrence gave near the Land’s End, when she was a flapper, and we both met Ferse first at her wedding. Family friendship, um?’

‘My visits to the Mental Home will come out,’ said Adrian, ‘the Doctor’s been summoned as witness.’

‘Oh! well,’ said Dinny, ‘you went there as his friend, and specially interested in mental derangement. After all, you’re supposed to be scientific, Uncle.’