AuntJuleybrokethehushagain。”We’vejustbeensaying，dear，howdreadfulitisabouttheseBoers！AndwhatanimpudentthingofthatoldKruger！””Impudent！”saidJune。”Ithinkhe’squiteright。Whatbusinesshavewetomeddlewiththem?IfheturnedoutallthosewretchedUitlandersitwouldservethemright。They’reonlyaftermoney。”
ThesilenceofsensationwasbrokenbyFranciesaying：”What?Areyouapro-Boer?”undoubtedlythefirstuseofthatexpression。”Well！Whycan’tweleavethemalone?”saidJune，justas，intheopendoorway，themaidsaid”Mr。SoamesForsyte。”Sensationonsensation！GreetingwasalmostheldupbycuriositytoseehowJuneandhewouldtakethisencounter，foritwasshrewdlysuspected，ifnotquiteknown，thattheyhadnotmetsincethatoldandlamentableaffairofherfianceBosinneywithSoames’wife。
Theywereseentojusttoucheachother’shands，andlookeachattheother’slefteyeonly。AuntJuleycameatoncetotherescue：”DearJuneissooriginal。Fancy，Soames，shethinkstheBoersarenottoblame。””Theyonlywanttheirindependence，”saidJune；”andwhyshouldn’ttheyhaveit?””Because，”answeredSoames，withhissmilealittleononeside，”theyhappentohaveagreedtooursuzerainty。””Suzerainty！”repeatedJunescornfully；”weshouldn’tlikeanyone’ssuzeraintyoverus。””Theygotadvantagesinpayment，”repliedSoames；”acontractisacontract。””Contractsarenotalwaysjust，”fumedoutJune，”andwhenthey’renot，theyoughttobebroken。TheBoersaremuchtheweaker。Wecouldaffordtobegenerous。”
Soamessniffed。”That’smeresentiment，”hesaid。
AuntHester，towhomnothingwasmoreawfulthananykindofdisagreement，hereleanedforwardandremarkeddecisively：”Whatlovelyweatherithasbeenforthetimeofyear?”
ButJunewasnottobediverted。”Idon’tknowwhysentimentshouldbesneeredat。It’sthebestthingintheworld。”Shelookeddefiantlyround，andAuntJuleyhadtointerveneagain：”Haveyouboughtanypictureslately，Soames?”
Herincomparableinstinctforthewrongsubjecthadnotfailedher。
Soamesflushed。Todisclosethenameofhislatestpurchaseswouldbelikewalkingintothejawsofdisdain。ForsomehowtheyallknewofJune’spredilectionfor’genius’notyetonitslegs，andhercontemptfor’success’unlessshehadhadafingerinsecuringit。”Oneortwo，”hemuttered。
ButJune’sfacehadchanged；theForsytewithinherwasseeingitschance。WhyshouldnotSoamesbuysomeofthepicturesofEricCobbley——herlastlameduck?Andshepromptlyopenedherattack：
DidSoamesknowhiswork?Itwassowonderful。Hewasthecomingman。
Oh，yes，Soamesknewhiswork。Itwasinhisview’splashy，’andwouldnevergetholdofthepublic。
Juneblazedup。”Ofcourseitwon’t；that’sthelastthingonewouldwishfor。I
thoughtyouwereaconnoisseur，notapicture-dealer。””OfcourseSoamesisaconnoisseur，”AuntJuleysaidhastily；”hehaswonderfultaste——hecanalwaystellbeforehandwhat’sgoingtobesuccessful。””Oh！”gaspedJune，andsprangupfromthebead-coveredchair，”I
hatethatstandardofsuccess。Whycan’tpeoplebuythingsbecausetheylikethem?””Youmean，”saidFrancie，”becauseyoulikethem。”
AndintheslightpauseyoungNicholaswasheardsayinggentlythatViolethisfourthwastakinglessonsinpastel，hedidn’tknowiftheywereanyuse。”Well，good-bye，Auntie，”saidJune；”Imustgeton，”andkissingheraunts，shelookeddefiantlyroundtheroom，said”Good-bye”
again，andwent。Abreezeseemedtopassoutwithher，asifeveryonehadsighed。
Thethirdsensationcamebeforeanyonehadtimetospeak：”Mr。JamesForsyte。”
Jamescameinusingastickslightlyandwrappedinafurcoatwhichgavehimafictitiousbulk。
Everyonestoodup。Jameswassoold；andhehadnotbeenatTimothy’sfornearlytwoyears。”It’shotinhere，”hesaid。
Soamesdivestedhimofhiscoat，andashedidsocouldnothelpadmiringtheglossywayhisfatherwasturnedout。Jamessatdown，allknees，elbows，frock-coat，andlongwhitewhiskers。”What’sthemeaningofthat?”hesaid。
Thoughtherewasnoapparentsenseinhiswords，theyallknewthathewasreferringtoJune。Hiseyessearchedhisson’sface。”IthoughtI’dcomeandseeformyself。WhathavetheyansweredKruger?”
Soamestookoutaneveningpaper，andreadtheheadline。”’InstantactionbyourGovernment——stateofwarexisting！’””Ah！”saidJames，andsighed。”Iwasafraidthey’dcutandrunlikeoldGladstone。Weshallfinishwiththemthistime。”
Allstaredathim。James！Alwaysfussy，nervous，anxious！Jameswithhiscontinual，’Itoldyouhowitwouldbe！’andhispes-
simism，andhiscautiousinvestments。TherewassomethinguncannyaboutsuchresolutioninthistheoldestlivingForsyte。”Where’sTimothy?”saidJames。”Heoughttopayattentiontothis。”
AuntJuleysaidshedidn’tknow；Timothyhadnotsaidmuchatlunchto-day。AuntHesterroseandthreadedherwayoutoftheroom，andFranciesaidrathermaliciously：”TheBoersareahardnuttocrack，UncleJames。””H’m！”mutteredJames。”Wheredoyougetyourinformation?Nobodytellsme。”
YoungNicholasremarkedinhismildvoicethatNickhiseldest
wasnowgoingtodrillregularly。”Ah！”mutteredJames，andstaredbeforehim——histhoughtswereonVal。”He’sgottolookafterhismother，”hesaid，”he’sgotnotimefordrillingandthat，withthatfatherofhis。”Thiscrypticsayingproducedsilence，untilhespokeagain。”WhatdidJunewanthere?”Andhiseyesrestedwithsuspiciononalloftheminturn。”Herfather’sarichmannow。”TheconversationturnedonJolyon，andwhenhehadbeenseenlast。Itwassupposedthathewentabroadandsawallsortsofpeoplenowthathiswifewasdead；hiswater-colourswereontheline，andhewasasuccessfulman。Franciewentsofarastosay：”Ishouldliketoseehimagain；hewasratheradear。”
AuntJuleyrecalledhowhehadgonetosleeponthesofaoneday，whereJameswassitting。Hehadalwaysbeenveryamiable；whatdidSoamesthink?
KnowingthatJolyonwasIrene’strustee，allfeltthedelicacyofthisquestion，andlookedatSoameswithinterest。Afaintpinkhadcomeupinhischeeks。”He’sgoinggrey，”hesaid。
Indeed！HadSoamesseenhim?Soamesnodded，andthepinkvanished。
Jamessaidsuddenly：”Well——Idon’tknow，Ican’ttell。”
Itsoexactlyexpressedthesentimentofeverybodypresentthattherewassomethingbehindeverything，thatnobodyresponded。ButatthismomentAuntHesterreturned。”Timothy，”shesaidinalowvoice，”Timothyhasboughtamap，andhe’sputin——he’sputinthreeflags。”
Timothyhad……！Asighwentroundthecompany。
IfTimothyhadindeedputinthreeflagsalready，well！——itshowedwhatthenationcoulddowhenitwasroused。Thewarwasasgoodasover。
CHAPTERXIII
JOLYONFINDSOUTWHEREHEIS
JolyonstoodatthewindowinHolly’soldnightnursery，convertedintoastudio，notbecauseithadanorthlight，butforitsviewovertheprospectawaytotheGrandStandatEpsom。Heshiftedtothesidewindowwhichoverlookedthestableyard，andwhistleddowntothedogBalthasarwholayforeverundertheclocktower。Theolddoglookedupandwaggedhistail。’Pooroldboy！’thoughtJolyon，shiftingbacktotheotherwindow。