Soamesslowlypassedalittleinlaidpaperknifeoverthesmoothsurfaceofamarqueterietable；then，withoutlookingathisnephew，hebegan：”Youdon’tunderstandwhatyourmotherhashadtoputupwiththesetwentyyears。Thisisonlythelaststraw，Val。”AndglancingupsidewaysatWinifred，headded：”ShallItellhim?”
Winifredwassilent。Ifhewerenottold，hewouldbeagainsther！
Yet，howdreadfultobetoldsuchthingsofhisownfather！
Clenchingherlips，shenodded。
Soamesspokeinarapid，evenvoice：”Hehasalwaysbeenaburdenroundyourmother’sneck。Shehaspaidhisdebtsoverandoveragain；hehasoftenbeendrunk，abusedandthreatenedher；andnowheisgonetoBuenosAireswithadancer。”And，asifdistrustingtheefficacyofthosewordsontheboy，hewentonquickly”Hetookyourmother’spearlstogivetoher。”
Valjerkeduphishand，then。AtthatsignalofdistressWinifredcriedout：”That’lldo，Soames-stop！”
Intheboy，theDartieandtheForsytewerestruggling。Fordebts，drink，dancers，hehadacertainsympathy；butthepearls-no！Thatwastoomuch！Andsuddenlyhefoundhismother’shandsqueezinghis。”Yousee，”heheardSoamessay，”wecan’thaveitallbeginoveragain。There’salimit；wemuststrikewhiletheiron’shot。”
Valfreedhishand。”But——you’re——nevergoingtobringoutthataboutthepearls！I
couldn’tstandthat——Isimplycouldn’t！”
Winifredcriedout：”No，no，Val——ohno！That’sonlytoshowyouhowimpossibleyourfatheris！”Andhisunclenodded。Somewhatassuaged，Valtookoutacigarette。Hisfatherhadboughthimthatthincurvedcase。Oh！
itwasunbearable——justashewasgoinguptoOxford！”Can’tmotherbeprotectedwithout?”hesaid。”Icouldlookafterher。Itcouldalwaysbedonelaterifitwasreallynecessary。”
AsmileplayedforamomentroundSoames’lips，andbecamebitter。”Youdon’tknowwhatyou’retalkingof；nothing’ssofatalasdelayinsuchmatters。””Why?””Itellyou，boy，nothing’ssofatal。Iknowfromexperience。”
Hisvoicehadtheringofexasperation。Valregardedhimround-
eyed，neverhavingknownhisuncleexpressanysortoffeeling。
Oh！Yes——herememberednow——therehadbeenanAuntIrene，andsomethinghadhappened——somethingwhichpeoplekeptdark；hehadheardhisfatheronceuseanunmentionablewordofher。”Idon’twanttospeakillofyourfather，”Soameswentondoggedly，”butIknowhimwellenoughtobesurethathe’llbebackonyourmother’shandsbeforeayear’sover。Youcanimaginewhatthatwillmeantoherandtoallofyouafterthis。Theonlythingistocuttheknotforgood。”
Inspiteofhimself，Valwasimpressed；and，happeningtolookathismother’sface，hegotwhatwasperhapshisfirstrealinsightintothefactthathisownfeelingswerenotalwayswhatmatteredmost。”Allright，mother，”hesaid；”we’llbackyouup。OnlyI’dliketoknowwhenit’llbe。It’smyfirstterm，youknow。Idon’twanttobeuptherewhenitcomesoff。””Oh！mydearboy，”murmuredWinifred，”itisaboreforyou。”So，byhabit，shephrasedwhat，fromtheexpressionofherface，wasthemostpoignantregret。”Whenwillitbe，Soames?””Can’ttell——notformonths。Wemustgetrestitutionfirst。”
’Whatthedeuceisthat?’thoughtVal。’Whatsillybruteslawyersare！Notformonths！Iknowonething：I’mnotgoingtodinein！’
Andhesaid：”Awfullysorry，mother，I’vegottogoouttodinnernow。”
Thoughitwashislastnight，Winifrednoddedalmostgratefully；
theybothfeltthattheyhadgonequitefarenoughintheexpressionoffeeling。
ValsoughtthemistyfreedomofGreenStreet，recklessanddepressed。AndnottillhereachedPiccadillydidhediscoverthathehadonlyeighteen-pence。Onecouldn’tdineoffeighteen-pence，andhewasveryhungry。HelookedlonginglyatthewindowsoftheIseeumClub，wherehehadofteneatenofthebestwithhisfather！
Thosepearls！Therewasnogettingoverthem！Butthemorehebroodedandthefurtherhewalkedthehungrierhenaturallybecame。
Shortoftrailinghome，therewereonlytwoplaceswherehecouldgo——hisgrandfather’sinParkLane，andTimothy’sintheBayswaterRoad。Whichwasthelessdeplorable?Athisgrandfather’shewouldprobablygetabetterdinneronthespurofthemoment。AtTimothy’stheygaveyouajollygoodfeedwhentheyexpectedyou，nototherwise。HedecidedonParkLane，notunmovedbythethoughtthattogouptoOxfordwithoutaffordinghisgrandfatherachancetotiphimwashardlyfairtoeitherofthem。Hismotherwouldhearhehadbeenthere，ofcourse，andmightthinkitfunny；buthecouldn’thelpthat。Herangthebell。”Hullo，Warmson，anydinnerforme，d’youthink?””They’rejustgoingin，MasterVal。Mr。Forsytewillbeverygladtoseeyou。Hewassayingatlunchthatheneversawyounowadays。”
Valgrinned。”Well，hereIam。Killthefattedcalf，Warmson，let’shavefizz。”
Warmsonsmiledfaintly——inhisopinionValwasayounglimb。”IwillaskMrs。Forsyte，MasterVal。””Isay，”Valgrumbled，takingoffhisovercoat，”I’mnotatschoolanymore，youknow。”
Warmson，notwithoutasenseofhumour，openedthedoorbeyondthestag’s-horncoatstand，withthewords：”Mr。Valerus，ma’am。””Confoundhim！”thoughtVal，entering。
Awarmembrace，a”Well，Val！”fromEmily，andaratherquavery”Sothereyouareatlast！”fromJames，restoredhissenseofdignity。”Whydidn’tyouletusknow?There’sonlysaddleofmutton。
Champagne，Warmson，”saidEmily。Andtheywentin。
Atthegreatdining-table，shortenedtoitsutmost，underwhichsomanyfashionablelegshadrested，Jamessatatoneend，Emilyattheother，Valhalf-waybetweenthem；andsomethingofthelonelinessofhisgrandparents，nowthatalltheirfourchildrenwereflown，reachedtheboy’sspirit。’IhopeIshallkickthebucketlongbeforeI’masoldasgrandfather，’hethought。’Pooroldchap，he’sasthinasarail！’AndloweringhisvoicewhilehisgrandfatherandWarmsonwereindiscussionaboutsugarinthesoup，hesaidtoEmily：”It’sprettybrutalathome，Granny。Isupposeyouknow。””Yes，dearboy。””UncleSoameswastherewhenIleft。Isay，isn’tthereanythingtobedonetopreventadivorce?Whyishesobeastlykeenonit?””Hush，mydear！”murmuredEmily；”we’rekeepingitfromyourgrandfather。”
James’voicesoundedfromtheotherend。”What’sthat?Whatareyoutalkingabout?””AboutVal’scollege，”returnedEmily。”YoungPariserwasthere，James；youremember——henearlybroketheBankatMonteCarloafterwards。”
Jamesmutteredthathedidnotknow——Valmustlookafterhimselfupthere，orhe’dgetintobadways。Andhelookedathisgrandsonwithgloom，outofwhichaffectiondistrustfullyglimmered。”WhatI’mafraidof，”saidValtohisplate，”isofbeinghardup，youknow。”
Byinstinctheknewthattheweakspotinthatoldmanwasfearofinsecurityforhisgrandchildren。”Well，”saidJames，andthesoupinhisspoondribbledover，”you’llhaveagoodallowance；butyoumustkeepwithinit。””Ofcourse，”murmuredVal；”ifitisgood。Howmuchwillitbe，Grandfather?””Threehundredandfifty；it’stoomuch。Ihadnexttonothingatyourage。”
Valsighed。Hehadhopedforfour，andbeenafraidofthree。”I
don’tknowwhatyouryoungcousinhas，”saidJames；”he’supthere。
Hisfather’sarichman。”