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The Forsyte Saga Novel Chapters
List of most recent chapters published for the The Forsyte Saga novel. A total of 177 chapters have been translated and the release date of the last chapter is Apr 02, 2024
Latest Release: Chapter 1 : The Forsyte Saga.by John Galsworthy.PREFACE: _"The Forsyte Saga" was the t.i.t
The Forsyte Saga.by John Galsworthy.PREFACE: _"The Forsyte Saga" was the t.i.tle originally destined for that part of it which is called "The Man of Property"; and to adopt it for the collected chronicles of the Forsyte family has indulged the Forsyte
- 177 Soames paused. Old Gradman was leaning forward, convulsively gripping a stout black knee with each of his thick hands; his mouth had fallen open so that the gold fillings of three teeth gleamed; his eyes were blinking, two tears rolled slowly out of them.
- 176 On receiving her invitation, June had first thought, 'I wouldn't go near them for the world!' and then, one morning, had awakened from a dream of Fleur waving to her from a boat with a wild unhappy gesture. And she had changed her mind.When Fleur came
- 175 Jon drew a deep breath."I feel England's choky."They stood a few minutes longer under the oak-tree--looking out to where the grand stand at Epsom was veiled in evening. The branches kept the moonlight from them, so that it only fell everywh
- 174 "No," muttered Soames; "he. I was to tell you that it was no use; he must do what his father wished before he died." He caught her by the waist. "Come, child, don't let them hurt you. They're not worth your little finger
- 173 "Well?""It rests with him."He had a sense of being met and baffled. Always--always she had baffled him, even in those old first married days."It's a mad notion," he said."It is.""If you had only--! Well--t
- 172 "She isn't--she isn't. It's only because I can't bear to make you unhappy, Mother, now that Father--" He thrust his fists against his forehead.Irene got up."I told you that night, dear, not to mind me. I meant it. Think
- 171 Young Mont made a distracted gesture. Silence brooded over the dinner table, covered with spoons bearing the Forsyte crest--a pheasant proper--under the electric light in an alabaster globe. And outside, the river evening darkened, charged with heavy mois
- 170 "You'll see," he said. "There's going to be a big change. The possessive principle has got its shutters up.""What?" said Soames."The house is to let! Good-bye, sir; I'm off now."Soames watched his dau
- 169 "Alive, I mean.""Monty knew one at his Club. He brought him here to dinner once. Monty was always thinking of writing a book, you know, about how to make money on the turf. He tried to interest that man.""Well?""He put h
- 168 It all seemed to him disgusting--dead and disgusting. Then, suddenly, a hot wave of horrified emotion tingled through him. He buried his face in his hands. His mother! Fleur's father! He took up the letter again, and read on mechanically. And again c
- 167 With all his might Jolyon tried to get the better of the jumping, gurgling sensations within his chest."Well, sit down, old man. Have you seen your mother?""No." The boy's flushed look gave place to pallor; he sat down on the arm of the old chair, as
- 166 Fifty-eight years ago Jolyon had become an Eton boy, for old Jolyon's whim had been that he should be canonised at the greatest possible expense. Year after year he had gone to Lord's from Stanhope Gate with a father whose youth in the eighteen-twenties
- 165 "No," said Timothy."I'm Soames, you know; your nephew, Soames Forsyte. Your brother James'son."Timothy nodded."I shall be delighted to do anything I can for you."Timothy beckoned. Soames went close to him: "You--" said Timothy in a voice which s
- 164 "Is that chap," said Soames, "really going to the South Seas?""Oh! one never knows where Prosper's going!""He's a sign of the times," muttered Soames, "if you like."Winifred's hand gripped his arm."Don't turn your head," she said in a low
- 163 "Have you heard anything of Fleur?""Yes."His face told her, then, more than the most elaborate explanations. So he had not forgotten!She said very quietly: "Fleur is awfully attractive, Jon, but you know--Val and I don't really like her very much."
- 162 "What is your wish?""Ask another.""Fleur," said Mont, and his voice sounded strange, "don't mock me! Even vivisected dogs are worth decent treatment before they're cut up for good."Fleur shook her head; but her lips were trembling."Well, you sh
- 161 'It's cruel,' thought Fleur, 'and I was glad! That man! What do men come prowling for, disturbing everything! I suppose he's tired of her. What business has he to be tired of my mother? What business!' And at that thought, so natural and so peculiar
- 160 "It's Jon Forsyte's mother, isn't it? And she was your wife first."It was said in a flash of intuition. Surely his opposition came from his anxiety that she should not know of that old wound to his pride. But she was startled. To see some one so old
- 159 "I expect you're right," he said slowly; "but I want to think it over."She could see that he was seething with feelings he wanted to express; but she did not mean to help him. She hated herself at this moment and almost hated him. Why had she to do a
- 158 Monsieur Profond smiled."Look here, Miss Forsyde, don't worry. It'll be all right. Nothing lasts.""Things do last," cried Fleur; "with me anyhow--especially likes and dislikes.""Well, that makes me a bit un'appy.""I should have thought nothing
- 157 The words. .h.i.t June like a pebble, in the ribs. After all she had done for Art, all her identification with its troubles and lame ducks. She was struggling for adequate words when the door was opened, and her Austrian murmured: "A young lady, gnad
- 156 Soames made a tour of the room, to subdue his rising anger."Do you remember," he said, halting in front of her, "what you were when I married you? Working at accounts in a restaurant.""Do you remember that I was not half your age?
- 155 "Not from Fleur, sir. Imagine, if you were me!"Soames cleared his throat. That way of putting it was forcible enough."Fleur's too young," he said."Oh! no, sir. We're awfully old nowadays. My Dad seems to me a perfect bab
- 154 "Still, I'm lookin' at things broadly, sir. She's eighty-one.""Better serve it," said Soames, "and see what she says. Oh! and Mr.Timothy? Is everything in order in case of--""I've got the inventory of
- 153 Soames, coming up to the City, with the intention of calling in at Green Street at the end of his day and taking Fleur back home with him, suffered from rumination. Sleeping partner that he was, he seldom visited the City now, but he still had a room of h
- 152 IV.--IN GREEN STREET Uncertain whether the impression that Prosper Profond was dangerous should be traced to his attempt to give Val the Mayfly filly; to a remark of Fleur's: "He's like the hosts of Midian--he prowls and prowls around"
- 151 "But suppose they were engaged?""If we were engaged, and you found you loved somebody better, I might go cracked, but I shouldn't grudge it you.""I should. You mustn't ever do that with me, Jon."My G.o.d! Not much!&
- 150 "That's right," said Val; "keep off it while you can. You'll want it when you take a knock. This is really the same tobacco, then?""Identical, sir; a little dearer, that's all. Wonderful staying power--the British E
- 149 When she reached him on the dusty road, he slipped his hand within her arm."Who, do you think, has been to see you, Dad? She couldn't wait! Guess!""I never guess," said Soames uneasily. "Who?""Your cousin, June Fors
- 148 The girl smelled at her roses. "I only want to know because they won't tell me.""Well, it was about property, but there's more than one kind.""That makes it worse. Now I really must know."June's small and resol
- 147 II.--FATHERS AND DAUGHTERS Deprived of his wife and son by the Spanish adventure, Jolyon found the solitude at Robin Hill intolerable. A philosopher when he has all that he wants is different from a philosopher when he has not. Accustomed, however, to the
- 146 In her room she had a fancy to put on her "freak" dress. It was of gold tissue with little trousers of the same, tightly drawn in at the ankles, a page's cape slung from the shoulders, little gold shoes, and a gold-winged Mercury helmet; an
- 145 She changed her dress, so as to look as if she had been in some time, and ran up to the gallery.Soames was standing stubbornly still before his Alfred Stevens--the picture he loved best. He did not turn at the sound of the door, but she knew he had heard,
- 144 "Oh!" said Fleur; "yes--the handkerchief."To this young man she owed Jon; and, taking his hand, she stepped down into the skiff. Still emotional, and a little out of breath, she sat silent; not so the young man. She had never heard any
- 143 Jon answered with his kiss. And very soon, a flushed, distracted-looking youth could have been seen--as they say--leaping from the train and hurrying along the platform, searching his pockets for his ticket.When at last she rejoined him on the towing-path
- 142 "Well?" she said."It's seemed about fifteen days."She nodded, and Jon's face lighted up at once."Look natural," murmured Fleur, and went off into a bubble of laughter.It hurt him. How could he look natural with Ital
- 141 When he went up to bed his mother came into his room. She stood at the window, and said: "Those cypresses your grandfather planted down there have done wonderfully. I always think they look beautiful under a dropping moon. I wish you had known your g
- 140 He was telling them now how he had "pipped the pro--a charmin' fellow, playin' a very good game," at the last hole this morning; and how he had pulled down to Caversham since lunch, and trying to incite Prosper Profond to play him a se
- 139 "What do you think of this?" said Soames, pointing to the Gauguin.Monsieur Profond protruded his lower lip and short pointed beard."Rather fine, I think," he said; "do you want to sell it?"Soames checked his instinctive "
- 138 "Yes; but you don't know my father!""I suppose he's fearfully fond of you.""You see, I'm an only child. And so are you--of your mother. Isn't it a bore? There's so much expected of one. By the time they�
- 137 She bade him a casual and demure good-night, which made him think he had been dreaming....In her bedroom Fleur had flung off her gown, and, wrapped in a shapeless garment, with the white flower still in her hair, she looked like a mousme, sitting cross-le
- 136 Jon, on the other hand, sat awake at his window with a bit of paper and a pencil, writing his first "real poem" by the light of a candle because there was not enough moon to see by, only enough to make the night seem fluttery and as if engraved
- 135 "Yes! But it's dashed awkward--Holly's young half-brother is coming to live with us while he learns farming. He's there already.""Oh!" said Winifred. "That is a gaff! What is he like?""Only saw him once--a
- 134 "Here's a gentleman wants to know you--cousin of yours--Mr. George Forsyde."Val saw a large form, and a face clean-shaven, bull-like, a little lowering, with sardonic humour bubbling behind a full grey eye; he remembered it dimly from old d
- 133 "Yes, sir; but I'm sure it's the same, because me and Cook witnessed, you remember, and there's our names on it still, and we've only done it once.""Quite," said Soames. He did remember. Smither and Jane had been pr
- 132 To Forsyte imagination that house was now a sort of Chinese pill-box, a series of layers in the last of which was Timothy. One did not reach him, or so it was reported by members of the family who, out of old-time habit or absentmindedness, would drive up
- 131 Sipping weak tea with lemon in it, Jolyon gazed through the leaves of the old oak-tree at that view which had appeared to him desirable for thirty-two years. The tree beneath which he sat seemed not a day older! So young, the little leaves of brownish gol
- 130 "You don't ask if I have mine.""You don't care whether I do or not.""Quite right. Well, she has; and I have mine--terribly expensive.""H'm!" said Soames. "What does that chap Profond do in Englan
- 129 "What house?""That they quarrelled about.""Yes. But what's all that to do with you? We're going home to-morrow--you'd better be thinking about your frocks.""Bless you! They're all thought about. A fam
- 128 At that moment, most awkward of his existence, crowded with ghosts and shadows from his past, in presence of the only two women he had ever loved--his divorced wife and his daughter by her successor--Soames was not so much afraid of them as of his cousin
- 127 "It's a vision," she said."The deuce!"There was silence, then June rose. 'Crazylooking creature!' he thought."Well," he said, "you'll find your young stepbrother here with a woman I used to know. If y
- 126 "Well, you or somebody ought to give him a look up--last of the old lot; he's a hundred, you know. They say he's like a mummy. Where are you goin' to put him? He ought to have a pyramid by rights."Soames shook his head. "High
- 125 "It's my hair, darling."Little Jon laid hold of it, thick, dark gold, with a few silver threads."I like it," he said: "I like you best of all like this."Taking her hand, he had begun dragging her towards the door. He shu
- 124 "I can sleep any night.""Well, this is just a night like any other.""Oh! no--it's extra special.""On extra special nights one always sleeps soundest.""But if I go to sleep, Mum, I shan't hear you come
- 123 His mother smiled."Well, dear, we both of us went when we were little. Perhaps we went when we were too little.""I see," said little Jon, "it's dangerous.""You shall judge for yourself about all those things as you
- 122 While he was eating his jam beneath the oak tree, he noticed things about his mother that he had never seemed to see before, her cheeks for instance were creamy, there were silver threads in her dark goldy hair, her throat had no k.n.o.b in it like Bella&
- 121 "Then, will you tell 'Da,' dear, or shall I? She's so devoted to him"; and his father's answer: "Well, she mustn't show it that way. I know exactly what it feels like to be held down on one's back. No Forsyte c
- 120 "On the 20th instant at The Shelter; Mapledurham, Annette, wife of Soames Forsyte, of a daughter." And underneath on the blottingpaper he traced the word "son."It was eight o'clock in an ordinary autumn world when he went across t
- 119 Her black bulk, solid, unreduced by the frightful crossing, climbed into the brougham."And you, mon cher?""My father's dying," said Soames between his teeth. "I'm going up. Give my love to Annette.""Tiens!"
- 118 "Yes.""Do you still think that in any case she can't have another?""One can't be absolutely sure, but it's most unlikely.""She's strong," said Soames; "we'll take the risk."The doc
- 117 "Well," said Winifred, "I'm glad. I was sorry for Jolyon losing his boy.It might have been Val."Aunt Juley seemed to go into a sort of dream. "I wonder," she murmured, "what dear Soames will think? He has so wanted
- 116 "It's very French, and interesting," he said."Yes," murmured Aunt Juley, "your Uncle Roger had some houses there once; he was always having to turn the tenants out, I remember."Soames changed the subject to Mapledurham.&
- 115 Slow came the music and the march, till, in silence, the long line wound in through the Park gate. He heard Annette whisper, "How sad it is and beautiful!" felt the clutch of her hand as she stood up on tiptoe; and the crowd's emotion gripp
- 114 He branched off through Covent Garden. On this sultry day of late July the garbage-tainted air of the old market offended him, and Soho seemed more than ever the disenchanted home of rapscallionism. Alone, the Restaurant Bretagne, neat, daintily painted,
- 113 Emily ceased brus.h.i.+ng. "Of course you will, James. Soames will be as quick as he can."There was a long silence, till James reached out his arm."Here! let's have the eau-de-Cologne," and, putting it to his nose, he moved his fo
- 112 Better far if he had died in battle, without time to long for them to come to him, to call out for them, perhaps, in his delirium!The moon had pa.s.sed behind the oak-tree now, endowing it with uncanny life, so that it seemed watching him--the oak-tree hi
- 111 Following the maid through the curtains into the inner hall, he felt relieved that the impact of this meeting would be broken by June or Holly, whichever was playing in there, so that with complete surprise he saw Irene at the piano, and Jolyon sitting in
- 110 A sealed letter in the handwriting of Mr. Polteed remained unopened in Soames' pocket throughout two hours of sustained attention to the affairs of the 'New Colliery Company,' which, declining almost from the moment of old Jolyon's ret
- 109 Jolyon smiled because he could have cried."I never stop anyone from doing anything," he said.Holly flung her arms round his neck."Oh! Dad, you are the best in the world."'That means the worst,' thought Jolyon. If he had ever
- 108 Mr. Polteed said in a tone of urgency, almost of pathos: "I a.s.sure you we have put it through sometimes on less than that. It's Paris, you know. Attractive woman living alone. Why not risk it, sir? We might screw it up a peg."Soames had s
- 107 Irene rose, something wild suddenly in her face and figure."None! None! None! You may hunt me to the grave. I will not come."Outraged and on edge, Soames recoiled."Don't make a scene!" he said sharply. And they both stood motionle
- 106 It flashed through Winifred that here was the weapon she needed. He minded their knowing!"No. Val knows. The others don't; they only know you went away."She heard him sigh with relief."But they shall know," she said firmly, "
- 105 And in the midst of her own trouble Winifred was sorry for him, as if in that little saying he had revealed deep trouble of his own."I'd like to see mother," she said."She'll be with father in their room. Come down quietly to the
- 104 "Then the maids don't know. You can't stay here, Monty."He uttered a little sardonic laugh."Where then?""Anywhere.""Well, look at me! That--that d.a.m.ned....""If you mention her," cried Winifred
- 103 The curtains were not yet drawn, though the lamps outside were lighted; the two cousins sat waiting on each other."You've been in Paris, I hear," said Soames at last."Yes; just back.""Young Val told me; he and your boy are go
- 102 "I can't think what we are about," said Aunt Juley, raising her hands, "talking of such things!""Was she divorced?" asked Imogen from the door."Certainly not," cried Aunt Juley; "that is--certainly not.&qu
- 101 Aunt Juley's bewildered, "Fancy not waiting for the map! You mustn't mind him, Timothy. He's so droll!" broke the hush, and Timothy removed the hand from his mouth."I don't know what things are comin' to," he w
- 100 "He won't be like me, then, Dad; I'm beastly selfish.""No, my dear, that you clearly are not." Jolly shook his head, and they dug again."Strange life a dog's," said Jolyon suddenly: "The only four-footer w
- 99 "Joined the--rubbis.h.!.+" came from James, tremulously loud. "You can't see two yards before your nose. He--he'll have to go out there. Why! he'll be fighting before he knows where he is."Val saw Imogen's eyes admi
- 98 And they both looked at Holly. She had recoiled against the bookshelves reaching to the ceiling; her dark head leaned against Gibbon's Roman Empire, her eyes in a sort of soft grey agony were fixed on Val. And he, who had not much gift of insight, ha
- 97 "No; but I expect he will be soon.""Then!" cried Val, and diving forward, he seized her hand. She tried to withdraw it, failed, gave up the attempt, and looked at him wistfully."First of all," he said, "I want to tell yo
- 96 'Old brute!' thought Val, flus.h.i.+ng deeper; 'you're not paid to make jokes!'"'You will not get the chance to insult me again in my own house. I am leaving the country to-morrow. It's played out'--an expressi
- 95 She read the telegram, and he heard her sigh.That sigh, too, was for him! His position was really cruel! To be loyal to his son he must just shake her hand and go. To be loyal to the feeling in his heart he must at least tell her what that feeling was.Cou
- 94 "Well--this time only."And they had gone hand in hand.Here--where the Waverley novels and Byron's works and Gibbon's Roman Empire and Humboldt's Cosmos, and the bronzes on the mantelpiece, and that masterpiece of the oily school,
- 93 Mr. Bellby seemed to sniff the air like a hound."We won't be on till the middle of December. We've no need to give um more rope than that.""No," said Soames, "why should my sister be incommoded by his choosing to go...&q
- 92 "Yes," he said; "the very woman."Soames had seated himself and crossed his legs--nothing but a faint flush, which might have been his normal complexion, betrayed him."Send her off at once, then, to watch a Mrs. Irene Heron of Flat
- 91 June said suddenly: "Well, I shall go to Soames and tell him he must leave you alone. What does he want at his age?""A child. It's not unnatural""A child!" cried June scornfully. "Of course! To leave his money to. I
- 90 Jolyon found June waiting on the platform at Paddington. She had received his telegram while at breakfast. Her abode--a studio and two bedrooms in a St. John's Wood garden--had been selected by her for the complete independence which it guaranteed. U
- 89 "Oh! No-no!"Soames pressed the clasp; the seven stones gleamed out on the pale grey velvet."Why not?" he said. "Just as a sign that you don't bear me ill-feeling any longer.""I couldn't."Soames took it out
- 88 The Rainbow, distinguished, as only an Oxford hostel can be, for lack of modernity, provided one small oak-panelled private sitting-room, in which Holly sat to receive, white-frocked, shy, and alone, when the only guest arrived. Rather as one would touch
- 87 Jolly looked a little scornful."What do you do with yourself? Row?""No--ride, and drive about. I'm going to play polo next term, if I can get my granddad to stump up.""That's old Uncle James, isn't it? What's h
- 86 "Another little cup of very special coffee, monsieur; a liqueur, Grand Marnier?" and Madame Lamotte rose to order these delicacies.Alone with Annette Soames said, "Well, Annette?" with a defensive little smile about his lips.The girl b
- 85 In the train he put her through a sort of catechism as to what she did with her days.Made her dresses, shopped, visited a hospital, played her piano, translated from the French.She had regular work from a publisher, it seemed, which supplemented her incom
- 84 "I thought I'd come and see for myself. What have they answered Kruger?"Soames took out an evening paper, and read the headline."'Instant action by our Government--state of war existing!'""Ah!" said James, and
- 83 The following afternoon witnessed the greatest crowd Timothy's had known for many a year. On national occasions, such as this, it was, indeed, almost impossible to avoid going there. Not that there was any danger or rather only just enough to make it
- 82 CHAPTER XII--ON FORSYTE 'CHANGE Soames belonged to two clubs, 'The Connoisseurs,' which he put on his cards and seldom visited, and 'The Remove,' which he did not put on his cards and frequented. He had joined this Liberal inst.i.
- 81 Soames walked in. He noted mechanically that all was still silvery, and that the upright piano was of satinwood. She had risen and stood recoiled against it; her hand, placed on the keys as if groping for support, had struck a sudden discord, held for a m
- 80 "Is he?" muttered Val. "But what did become of Aunt Irene? I remember she was jolly good-looking.""She--er...." said Emily, "behaved very badly. We don't talk about it.""Well, I don't want everybody a
- 79 "Can't tell--not for months. We must get rest.i.tution first."'What the deuce is that?' thought Val. 'What silly brutes lawyers are!Not for months! I know one thing: I'm not going to dine in!' And he said: "Awf
- 78 "Good-bye," returned Soames; and Jolyon went out trying to understand the look, half-startled, half-menacing, on his cousin's face. He sought Waterloo Station in a disturbed frame of mind, as though the skin of his moral being had been sc.r