To let

Synopsis

The Forsytes have gone to see Eton and Harrow play cricket at Lord's. They've put on their top hats and are parading around in their pretty frocks. The conventional side of the Forsytes are organized by Winifred, and are eating their lunch in the Bedouin Club tent. Prosper Profond holds forth on the topic of morals, claiming that young women are just as "moral" as they ever were. They simply have more opportunity after the war. Soames leaves rather than listen to him. Winifred goes after him to see if anything is wrong. They promenade arm-in-arm, thinking about the Past and the Present. Winifred wishes she were young again. She talks about fashion. Soames replies in terms of the nation's post-war temperament. Annette and Prosper also promenade together. They see an elegant woman walking (Irene) and comment on her. Annette says she suspects Soames knows who that woman is. The circulating Jo and Irene encounter the pair Soames and Winifred. The men take their hats off, but no words are spoken.

Meanwhile, Fleur and Jon meet at Cousin June's. Fleur lies when Jon asks if she's found out anything. Fleur begs Jon to make sure of her by marrying her. Jon is undecided. He doesn't want to hurt his parents.

Soames flees the sight of his wife and her lover at Lord's, and goes to visit his Uncle Timothy on the Baywater Road. Timothy is bedridden and quite reverted to childhood, still cared for by the maid Smither. Soames tries to talk to him. Timothy prophesies: "Tell them all to hold on! Consols are goin' up!"

Back home at Mapledurham, Annette speaks to Michael Mont, there for Fleur. She advises him to hold on, that Fleur is going through a bad time. If Michael is there to help her at the end of it, Michael might win her. Michael goes to talk to Fleur. Soames enters. Annette tells him she's going to France to live with her mother. Soames is indifferent. "What luck you never loved me," she says to him, and walks out. Soames then talks to Fleur, who quizzes him about grand passions. She then reveals that she knows about his first marriage. He is pained. Soames attempts to explain why her affair with Jon is doomed-- he is the impediment and the reason Jon's family can never accept Fleur.

Jon talks to his sister, Holly, about Fleur. Holly doesn't like Fleur, but refuses to tell Jon about the family feud. Jon is angered, and this drives him to a decision: he will tell his parents all, and they will accept it. He goes to Robin Hill. There, his parents have been discussing a letter Jo has written for Jon, describing the tale of Irene's marriage to Soames. Jon arrives and announces his engagement to Fleur. Jo tries to get him to break it off just on trust. Jon refuses-- he loves her. "More than your mother?" Jo asks. Jon still will not budge. "Tell him, Jo," says Irene, who then leaves rather than tell it herself. Jon gets the story first-hand from Jo, with Jo showing increasing signs of physical distress. Jon runs off to think about what he's learned. Jo dies of a heart attack. There is much grief.

Michael Mont has been courting Fleur. He tells Soames that he has a job with a publisher. Soames is amused-- he likes Michael, though he won't show it. Fleur begs Soames to intercede on her behalf with Irene. Soames thinks it won't do any good. She doesn't listen, instead reminding him of the secret truth that he wouldn't mind seeing Irene again. He goes, against his will. He has an awkward and painful conversation with Irene. He asks her if she believes in Nemesis. She does. He once again offers to shake hands with Irene, asking her to let the past die. She will not. Jon enters, and tells Soames that it is no good; he must do as his father wished before he died. (Thus Jo successfully used guilt as a lever on his son.) Soames leaves, and walks down the row of trees he planted so many years before. Jon is left behind alone with Irene, who again has no rivals for her son's love.

Soames must break the news to Fleur, who is crushed and miserable. She angrily rails against Soames, asking him what he did to make them hate him so much. She will likely never know, but Soames knows. And thus Nemesis has punished him for his rape of Irene, through the suffering of his daughter.

Cricket at Lord's. Eton and Harrow! Or as George puts it, "Etrow! Harton!"	Soames and Winifred perambulate around the lunch scene at Lord's. Winifred discusses fashion. Soames discusses the temper of the nation after the War.	Annette and Prosper discuss that lovely, elegant woman they see. Annette says nastily that she thinks Soames knows who she is. The lovely woman is Irene, of course.	Ah, civilization! The enemies tip hats to each other.
A desperate encounter: Fleur doesn't tell Jon what she learned.	"Make sure of me, Jon!" says Fleur.	Soames visits the mausoleum on the Bayswater Road, what used to be the Forsyte 'Change.	Timothy prophesies: consols are goin' up!
Annette advises Michael to stick to it, that Fleur is going through a bad time. If he's there when she rebounds, he'll win her.	Annette announces she's going to France to be with her mother. "What luck you never loved me," she says.	"Also ran, Michael Mont?" asks disappointed lover Michael. "Come back when I haven't got my wish," she replies.	Soames and Fleur discuss their grand passions for mother and son.
"I'm the impediment!" says Soames, desperately trying to explain to Fleur why her love is doomed.	Jon reaches a decision: he's going to marry Fleur, and he's going to Robin Hill to tell his parents so.	Fleur heads off to Robin Hill, having heard of Jon's decision. She will arrive too late.	The murder is out: Jolyon has written a letter to Jon telling him the story of Irene and Soames. Irene approves of it.
He's still indulgent and whimsical.	Jon has told his parents he's marrying Fleur. "Tell him, Jo. Tell him everything," says Irene, who then leaves rather than tell about her own past.	Jolyon tells Jon about Irene's unhappy marriage to Soames.	Jolyon pleads with Jon not to hurt his mother by marrying Fleur.
Heart attack, caused by over-excitement.	Young Jolyon is dead.	Michael has got a job, and tells his intended's father all about it. Soames likes Michael, though he finds him a little young and foolish.	Fleur begs Soames to go and convince Irene to let Jon and Fleur be together. He doesn't see how it will help.
She knows how to get her doting father to do anything.	"You know, you wouldn't mind seeing her again." Uncomfortably true.	Soames, against his better judgement, goes in embassy to visit that boy and ask his intentions toward Fleur. As always, he has mixed feelings about seeing Irene.	Soames attempts once again to make up with Irene with a handshake. "Let the past die," he asks. She won't.
Jon tells Soames he must do as his father wished. He gives Fleur up.	The mother now has no rivals for her son's love. Ah, bliss.	Fleur, crushed and disappointed, angrily asks her father what he did to make them hate him so.	Fleur runs into Michael's faithfully waiting arms.

Novels

This episode covers the rest of To let, though somewhat jumbled in order:

9: The fat in the fire
10: Decision
11: Timothy prophesies
PART III
1: Old Jolyon walks
2: Confession
3: Irene
4: Soames cogitates
5: The fixed idea
6: Desperate
7: Embassy
8: The dark tune
9: Under the oak tree
10: Fleur's wedding
11: The last of the old Forsytes

Fleur's wedding is actually in the next episode, and the last chapter is omitted entirely.

Commentary

The dramatization of To let is something of a failure. The meaning of the title is never made clear: Robin Hill is to let, and the possessive instinct is to let, even in Soames' heart. The grand final chapter, in which Soames' transformation to an entirely sympathetic character is complete, is omitted entirely. We don't see Irene's farewell wave to him in the Goupenour Gallery. We don't see him meditating on his life and the changes therein while he sits in the sun at Highgate Cemetery. We don't see him regretting that he will never get his fondest wish, for "the beauty and the loving in the world". We do manage to see that he's the one who has achieved selfless love for his daughter Fleur, while Irene and Jolyon claim emotional property in their son. (Galsworthy's protestations in his preface to the contrary, he failed to make their actions defensible to the reader.)

"The last of the old Forsytes" could refer to Uncle Timothy, buried at last, but could equally well refer to Soames, who is the caretaker of the Forsyte spirit. Unfortunately, we get nothing of this from the television adaptation.

The television series dispenses with Annette after this episode. She does not leave Soames in the novels, though she does spend time in France. Soames, having made the decision to close his eyes to her affairs, is true to his word. She, in turn, continues her physical relationship with Soames. Their marriage in fact improves in the later trilogy.