The Forsyte Saga - Volume 1

"My client, Mr. Soames Forsyte, is a gentleman, a man of property, who

would be the last to dispute any legitimate claim that might be made

against him, but he has met with such treatment from his architect in

the matter of this house, over which he has, as your lordship has

heard, already spent some twelve--some twelve thousand pounds, a sum

considerably in advance of the amount he had originally contemplated,

that as a matter of principle--and this I cannot too strongly

emphasize--as a matter of principle, and in the interests of others, he

has felt himself compelled to bring this action. The point put forward

in defence by the architect I will suggest to your lordship is

not worthy of a moment's serious consideration." He then read the

correspondence.

His client, "a man of recognised position," was prepared to go into the

box, and to swear that he never did authorize, that it was never in his

mind to authorize, the expenditure of any money beyond the extreme limit

of twelve thousand and fifty pounds, which he had clearly fixed; and

not further to waste the time of the court, he would at once call Mr.

Forsyte.

Soames then went into the box. His whole appearance was striking in its

composure. His face, just supercilious enough, pale and clean-shaven,

with a little line between the eyes, and compressed lips; his dress

in unostentatious order, one hand neatly gloved, the other bare. He

answered the questions put to him in a somewhat low, but distinct voice.

His evidence under cross-examination savoured of taciturnity.

Had he not used the expression, "a free hand"? No.

"Come, come!"

The expression he had used was 'a free hand in the terms of this

correspondence.'

"Would you tell the Court that that was English?"

"Yes!"

"What do you say it means?"

"What it says!"

"Are you prepared to deny that it is a contradiction in terms?"

"Yes."

"You are not an Irishman?"

"No."

"Are you a well-educated man?"

"Yes."

"And yet you persist in that statement?"

"Yes."

Throughout this and much more cross-examination, which turned again and

again around the 'nice point,' James sat with his hand behind his ear,

his eyes fixed upon his son.

He was proud of him! He could not but feel that in similar circumstances

he himself would have been tempted to enlarge his replies, but his

instinct told him that this taciturnity was the very thing. He sighed

with relief, however, when Soames, slowly turning, and without any

change of expression, descended from the box.

When it came to the turn of Bosinney's Counsel to address the Judge,

James redoubled his attention, and he searched the Court again and again

to see if Bosinney were not somewhere concealed.