The Forsyte Saga - Volume 1

In his own heart! The proof of the pudding was in the eating--Bosinney

had still to eat his pudding.

His thoughts passed to the woman, the woman whom he did not know, but

the outline of whose story he had heard.

An unhappy marriage! No ill-treatment--only that indefinable malaise,

that terrible blight which killed all sweetness under Heaven; and so

from day to day, from night to night, from week to week, from year to

year, till death should end it.

But young Jolyon, the bitterness of whose own feelings time had

assuaged, saw Soames' side of the question too. Whence should a man like

his cousin, saturated with all the prejudices and beliefs of his class,

draw the insight or inspiration necessary to break up this life? It was

a question of imagination, of projecting himself into the future

beyond the unpleasant gossip, sneers, and tattle that followed on such

separations, beyond the passing pangs that the lack of the sight of her

would cause, beyond the grave disapproval of the worthy. But few men,

and especially few men of Soames' class, had imagination enough for

that. A deal of mortals in this world, and not enough imagination to go

round! And sweet Heaven, what a difference between theory and practice;

many a man, perhaps even Soames, held chivalrous views on such matters,

who when the shoe pinched found a distinguishing factor that made of

himself an exception.

Then, too, he distrusted his judgment. He had been through the

experience himself, had tasted too the dregs the bitterness of an

unhappy marriage, and how could he take the wide and dispassionate view

of those who had never been within sound of the battle? His evidence was

too first-hand--like the evidence on military matters of a soldier who

has been through much active service, against that of civilians who have

not suffered the disadvantage of seeing things too close. Most people

would consider such a marriage as that of Soames and Irene quite fairly

successful; he had money, she had beauty; it was a case for compromise.

There was no reason why they should not jog along, even if they hated

each other. It would not matter if they went their own ways a little so

long as the decencies were observed--the sanctity of the marriage tie,

of the common home, respected. Half the marriages of the upper classes

were conducted on these lines: Do not offend the susceptibilities of

Society; do not offend the susceptibilities of the Church. To avoid

offending these is worth the sacrifice of any private feelings. The

advantages of the stable home are visible, tangible, so many pieces of

property; there is no risk in the statu quo. To break up a home is at

the best a dangerous experiment, and selfish into the bargain.