FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   238   239   240   241   242   243   244   245   246   247   248   249   250   251   252   253   254   255   256   257   258   259   260   261   262  
263   264   265   266   267   268   269   270   271   272   273   274   275   276   277   278   279   280   281   282   283   284   285   286   287   >>   >|  
that she had loathed him for years, that for all intents and purposes they were like people living in different worlds, that there was no hope for him, never had been; even, that she had suffered--that she was to be pitied. In that moment of emotion he betrayed the Forsyte in him--forgot himself, his interests, his property--was capable of almost anything; was lifted into the pure ether of the selfless and unpractical. Such moments pass quickly. And as though with the tears he had purged himself of weakness, he got up, locked the box, and slowly, almost trembling, carried it with him into the other room. CHAPTER VII JUNE'S VICTORY June had waited for her chance, scanning the duller columns of the journals, morning and evening with an assiduity which at first puzzled old Jolyon; and when her chance came, she took it with all the promptitude and resolute tenacity of her character. She will always remember best in her life that morning when at last she saw amongst the reliable Cause List of the Times newspaper, under the heading of Court XIII, Mr. Justice Bentham, the case of Forsyte v. Bosinney. Like a gambler who stakes his last piece of money, she had prepared to hazard her all upon this throw; it was not her nature to contemplate defeat. How, unless with the instinct of a woman in love, she knew that Bosinney's discomfiture in this action was assured, cannot be told--on this assumption, however, she laid her plans, as upon a certainty. Half past eleven found her at watch in the gallery of Court XIII., and there she remained till the case of Forsyte v. Bosinney was over. Bosinney's absence did not disquiet her; she had felt instinctively that he would not defend himself. At the end of the judgment she hastened down, and took a cab to his rooms. She passed the open street-door and the offices on the three lower floors without attracting notice; not till she reached the top did her difficulties begin. Her ring was not answered; she had now to make up her mind whether she would go down and ask the caretaker in the basement to let her in to await Mr. Bosinney's return, or remain patiently outside the door, trusting that no one would, come up. She decided on the latter course. A quarter of an hour had passed in freezing vigil on the landing, before it occurred to her that Bosinney had been used to leave the key of his rooms under the door-mat. She looked and found it there. For some mi
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   238   239   240   241   242   243   244   245   246   247   248   249   250   251   252   253   254   255   256   257   258   259   260   261   262  
263   264   265   266   267   268   269   270   271   272   273   274   275   276   277   278   279   280   281   282   283   284   285   286   287   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

Bosinney

 

Forsyte

 

morning

 

passed

 

chance

 

discomfiture

 
defend
 
instinctively
 

action

 

instinct


assured

 

judgment

 

remained

 

gallery

 

eleven

 

hastened

 

disquiet

 

certainty

 

absence

 
assumption

notice

 

decided

 

quarter

 

remain

 

patiently

 

trusting

 

freezing

 

looked

 
landing
 

occurred


return

 

defeat

 

attracting

 

reached

 

difficulties

 
floors
 

street

 

offices

 

caretaker

 

basement


answered

 
heading
 

moments

 

quickly

 

unpractical

 

selfless

 
lifted
 

trembling

 

carried

 
slowly