HisboywasseldomabsentfromJolyon’smindinthedayswhichfollowedthefirstwalkwithIreneinRichmondPark。Nofurthernewshadcome；enquiriesattheWarOfficeelicitednothing；norcouldheexpecttohearfromJuneandHollyforthreeweeksatleast。InthesedayshefelthowinsufficientwerehismemoriesofJolly，andwhatanamateurofafatherhehadbeen。Therewasnotasinglememoryinwhichangerplayedapart；notonereconciliation，becausetherehadneverbeenarupture；noroneheart-to-heartconfidence，notevenwhenJolly’smotherdied。
Nothingbuthalf-ironicalaffection。Hehadbeentooafraidofcommittinghimselfinanydirection，forfearoflosinghisliberty，orinterferingwiththatofhisboy。
OnlyinIrene’spresencehadherelief，highlycomplicatedbytheever-growingperceptionofhowdividedhewasbetweenherandhisson。WithJollywasboundupallthatsenseofcontinuityandsocialcreedofwhichhehaddrunkdeeplyinhisyouthandagainduringhisboy’spublicschoolandvarsitylife——allthatsenseofnotgoingbackonwhatfatherandsonexpectedofeachother。WithIrenewasboundupallhisdelightinbeautyandinNature。Andheseemedtoknowlessandlesswhichwasthestrongerwithinhim。
>Fromsuchsentimentalparalysishewasrudelyawakened，however，oneafternoon，justashewasstartingofftoRichmond，byayoungmanwithabicycleandafaceoddlyfamiliar，whocameforwardfaintlysmiling。”Mr。JolyonForsyte?Thankyou！”PlacinganenvelopeinJolyon’shandhewheeledoffthepathandrodeaway。Bewildered，Jolyonopenedit。”AdmiraltyProbateandDivorce，Forsytev。ForsyteandForsyte！”
Asensationofshameanddisgustwasfollowedbytheinstantreaction’Why，here’stheverythingyouwant，andyoudon’tlikeit！’Butshemusthavehadonetoo；andhemustgotoheratonce。