登陆注册
5227100000041

第41章 CHAPTER IX DEATH OF AUNT ANN(3)

In the third carriage a disjointed conversation was carried on in the intervals of looking out to see how far they had got, George remarking, "Well, it was really time that the poor old lady went." He didn't believe in people living beyond seventy, Young Nicholas replied mildly that the rule didn't seem to apply to the Forsytes. George said he himself intended to commit suicide at sixty. Young Nicholas, smiling and stroking A long chin, didn't think his father would like that theory; he had made a lot of money since he was sixty. Well, seventy was the outside limit; it was then time, George said, for them to go and leave their money to their children. Soames, hitherto silent, here joined in; he had not forgotten the remark about the 'undertaking,' and, lifting his eyelids almost imperceptibly, said it was all very well for people who never made money to talk. He himself intended to live as long as he could. This was a hit at George, who was notoriously hard up. Bosinney muttered abstractedly "Hear, hear!" and, George yawning, the conversation dropped.

Upon arriving, the coffin was borne into the chapel, and, two by two, the mourners filed in behind it. This guard of men, all attached to the dead by the bond of kinship, was an impressive and singular sight in the great city of London, with its overwhelming diversity of life, its innumerable vocations, pleasures, duties, its terrible hardness, its terrible call to individualism.

The family had gathered to triumph over all this, to give a show of tenacious unity, to illustrate gloriously that law of property underlying the growth of their tree, by which it had thriven and spread, trunk and branches, the sap flowing through all, the full growth reached at the appointed time. The spirit of the old woman lying in her last sleep had called them to this demonstration. It was her final appeal to that unity which had been their strength--it was her final triumph that she had died while the tree was yet whole.

She was spared the watching of the branches jut out beyond the point of balance. She could not look into the hearts of her followers. The same law that had worked in her, bringing her up from a tall, straight-backed slip of a girl to, a woman strong and grown, from a woman grown to a woman old, angular, feeble, almost witchlike, with individuality all sharpened and sharpened, as all rounding from the world's contact fell off from her--that same law would work, was: working, in the family she had watched like a mother.

She had seen it young, and growing, she had, seen it strong and grown, and before her old eyes had time or strength to see any more, she died. She would have tried, and who knows but she might have kept it young and strong, with her old fingers, her trembling kisses--a little longer; alas! not even Aunt Ann could fight with Nature.

同类推荐
  • 新译大乘起信论

    新译大乘起信论

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 一草亭目科全书

    一草亭目科全书

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 海意菩萨所问净印法门经

    海意菩萨所问净印法门经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • ARTICLES ON CHINA

    ARTICLES ON CHINA

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 三字经讲记

    三字经讲记

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 不如一世沉欢

    不如一世沉欢

    【生子抵不过情人。本文已完结】你一定不知道,我曾这样毫无指望地爱过你。这场婚礼,她整整等了三年,还未交换戒指,就已经被突然闯进来的女人打破了一切,美好全部化为苍白。这个女人,就是曾经占据着容湛的心整整十年的青梅竹马。曾经因为他入狱,当她刑满释放奔到婚礼现场的时候,楼念念嘴角挂着死灰般的笑容。***四年前。她是江城日报的实习记者,为了第一手材料,误上了江城刑警大冰山的床,并且从此赖上了他。而他是容少,腹黑冷峻。修长的手指勾着楼念念的下巴,俯身,鹰隼般的眸子盯着楼念念,令她无所遁形,薄唇轻启:“我有没有告诉你,我死都不会爱你?”“可是,我爱你就好了啊。”***“我怀孕了。”“打掉。”楼念念看着眼前这个冷漠的男人,她深爱着的男人,苦笑着开口,水眸里蒙上一层薄雾:“我就不应该奢望你这种冷血动物能够回心转意。”“那你就更应该打掉孩子了。”***四年后。“我们离婚吧!”几近绝望地看着他,眼底已经没有了半点眷恋。容湛,我爱了你整整四年,果然抵不过那十年陈旧的时光。
  • 情定望海城

    情定望海城

    本书的故事创作主要是以现代都市——望海城为背景,以女主人公赵天雪的感情之路为线索进行描写,是一篇感人至深的现代言情小说。--情节虚构,请勿模仿
  • The Chaperon

    The Chaperon

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 小姐的前世今生

    小姐的前世今生

    佛说:前世的五百次回眸,才换来今生擦肩而过的缘分。那他和她更是千年的纠缠吧。一朝重生,天下风云突变。
  • 治学严谨(中华民族传统美德教育读本)

    治学严谨(中华民族传统美德教育读本)

    本丛书筛选内容主要遵循以下原则要求:(1)坚持批判继承思想,取其精华、去其糟粕。既不全盘肯定,也不全盘否定。坚持抽象继承、演绎发展、立足当代、为我所用。(2)坚持系统整体的原则。注意各历史时期分布;注意各民族的进步人物;注意各层面人物;注意人物各侧面。做到:竖看历史五千年,纵向成条线;横看美德重实践,横向不漏面。(3)坚持古为今用,为我所用原则。在发掘美德资源时,特别挖掘古代人物故事、言论,注重寻找挖掘各阶层、各民族的传统公德、通德、同德;注重人民性、民主性、进步性、发展性、普遍性、抽象性,不求全古代,不求全个体。
  • 爱情向左,婚姻向右

    爱情向左,婚姻向右

    恋爱男女的情感纠葛,已婚夫妇的纷争扰攘,或悲或喜牵肠又挂肚,你没有爱过婚过正好,你已经爱过婚过也罢……《爱情向左婚姻向右(都市男女情感口述实录超值金版)》专门为你量身订做,为你的情感和婚姻保驾护航。恋爱中,如何与相爱的人长相厮守?结婚后,如何与人生的伴侣携手到老?答案尽在《爱情向左婚姻向右(都市男女情感口述实录超值金版)》。本书由关登浩编著。
  • 碎天劫

    碎天劫

    他遭遇莫名的海难,身处陌生之地,依旧深信逻辑和理性,却遭遇着一连串无法解释的诡异事件!食人企鹅、漂浮岛、吸血蝴蝶、雷暴飓风、扭力地震,与三个女人间的感情纠缠,还有一群身穿防化服的人欲杀之而后快!这一切莫名其妙的事情背后有着怎样的真相?下一个死去的又是谁~!没有鬼怪,没有冤魂,但有着出其不意的恐怖和惊悚!
  • 经学通论

    经学通论

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 魔兽剑圣纵横漫威

    魔兽剑圣纵横漫威

    深陷低谷的老实人,被刚睡醒的大能失误丢进漫威的悲惨故事!“其实我都清楚,只是我遵守底线。千万别惹我,老实人发起火谁都顶不住!”——张桐
  • 过着语文的日子

    过着语文的日子

    《过着语文的日子》是一名小学语文特级教师汪智星十多年从教经历的精华总结。有成长经历、经验反思、精品课堂,为语文教学回归本真,发出呐喊的声音。