Thecousinshadmetbuttwice，Jolly，thesecond-yearman，havinginvitedthefreshmantobreakfast；andlasteveningtheyhadseeneachotheragainundersomewhatexoticcircumstances。
Overatailor’sintheCornmarketresidedoneofthoseprivilegedyoungbeingscalledminors，whoseinheritancesarelarge，whoseparentsaredead，whoseguardiansareremote，andwhoseinstinctsarevicious。Atnineteenhehadcommencedoneofthosecareersattractiveandinexplicabletoordinarymortalsforwhomasinglebankruptcyisgoodasafeast。AlreadyfamousforhavingtheonlyroulettetablethentobefoundinOxford，hewasanticipatinghisexpectationsatadazzlingrate。Heout-crummedCrum，thoughofasanguineandratherbeefytypewhichlackedthelatter’sfascinatinglanguor。ForValithadbeeninthenatureofbaptismtobetakentheretoplayroulette；inthenatureofconfirmationtogetbackintocollege，afterhours，throughawindowwhosebarsweredeceptive。Once，duringthateveningofdelight，glancingupfromtheseductivegreenbeforehim，hehadcaughtsight，throughacloudofsmoke，ofhiscousinstandingopposite。’Rougegagne，impair，etmanque！’Hehadnotseenhimagain。”ComeintotheFrying-panandhavetea，”saidJolly，andtheywentin。
Astranger，seeingthemtogether，wouldhavenoticedanunseizableresemblancebetweenthesesecondcousinsofthethirdgenerationsofForsytes；thesameboneformationinface，thoughJolly’seyesweredarkergrey，hishairlighterandmorewavy。”Teaandbutteredbuns，waiter，please，”saidJolly。”Haveoneofmycigarettes?”saidVal。”Isawyoulastnight。Howdidyoudo?””Ididn’tplay。””Iwonfifteenquid。”
Thoughdesirousofrepeatingawhimsicalcommentongamblinghehadonceheardhisfathermake——’Whenyou’refleecedyou’resick，andwhenyoufleeceyou’resorry——Jollycontentedhimselfwith：”Rottengame，Ithink；Iwasatschoolwiththatchap。He’sanawfulfool。””Oh！Idon’tknow，”saidVal，asonemightspeakindefenceofadisparagedgod；”he’saprettygoodsport。”
Theyexchangedwhiffsinsilence。”Youmetmypeople，didn’tyou?”saidJolly。”They’recomingupto-morrow。”
Valgrewalittlered。”Really！IcangiveyouararegoodtipfortheManchesterNovemberhandicap。””Thanks，Ionlytakeinterestintheclassicraces。””Youcan’tmakeanymoneyoverthem，”saidVal。”Ihatethering，”saidJolly；”there’ssucharowandstink。I
likethepaddock。””Iliketobackmyjudgment，”’answeredVal。
Jollysmiled；hissmilewaslikehisfather’s。”Ihaven’tgotany。IalwayslosemoneyifIbet。””Youhavetobuyexperience，ofcourse。””Yes，butit’sallmessed-upwithdoingpeopleintheeye。””Ofcourse，orthey’lldoyou——that’stheexcitement。”
Jollylookedalittlescornful。”Whatdoyoudowithyourself?Row?””No——ride，anddriveabout。I’mgoingtoplaypolonextterm，ifI
cangetmygranddadtostumpup。””That’soldUncleJames，isn’tit?What’shelike?””Olderthanfortyhills，”saidVal，”andalwaysthinkinghe’sgoingtoberuined。””Isupposemygranddadandhewerebrothers。””Idon’tbelieveanyofthatoldlotweresportsmen，”saidVal；
theymusthaveworshippedmoney。””Minedidn’t！”saidJollywarmly。
Valflippedtheashoffhiscigarette。”Money’sonlyfittospend，”hesaid；”IwishthedeuceIhadmore。”
JollygavehimthatdirectupwardlookofjudgmentwhichhehadinheritedfromoldJolyon：Onedidn’ttalkaboutmoney！Andagaintherewassilence，whiletheydrankteaandatethebutteredbuns。”Whereareyourpeoplegoingtostay?”askedVal，elaboratelycasual。”’Rainbow。’Whatdoyouthinkofthewar?””Rotten，sofar。TheBoersaren’tsportsabit。Whydon’ttheycomeoutintotheopen?””Whyshouldthey?They’vegoteverythingagainstthemexcepttheirwayoffighting。Iratheradmirethem。””Theycanrideandshoot，”admittedVal，”butthey’realousylot。
DoyouknowCrum?””OfMerton?Onlybysight。He’sinthatfastsettoo，isn’the?
RatherLa-di-daandBrummagem。”
Valsaidfixedly：”He’safriendofmine。””Oh！Sorry！”Andtheysatawkwardlystaringpasteachother，havingpitchedontheirpetpointsofsnobbery。ForJollywasforminghimselfunconsciouslyonasetwhosemottowas：
’Wedefyyoutoboreus。Lifeisn’thalflongenough，andwe’regoingtotalkfasterandmorecrisply，domoreandknowmore，anddwelllessonanysubjectthanyoucanpossiblyimagine。Weare”thebest”——madeofwireandwhipcord。’AndValwasunconsciouslyforminghimselfonasetwhosemottowas：’Wedefyyoutointerestorexciteus。Wehavehadeverysensation，orifwehaven’t，wepretendwehave。Wearesoexhaustedwithlivingthatnohoursaretoosmallforus。Wewillloseourshirtswithequanimity。Wehaveflownfastandarepasteverything。Alliscigarettesmoke。
Bismillah！’Competitivespirit，bone-deepintheEnglish，wasobligingthosetwoyoungForsytestohaveideals；andatthecloseofacenturyidealsaremixed。Thearistocracyhadalreadyinthemainadoptedthe’jumping-Jesus’principle；thoughhereandthereonelikeCrum——whowasan’honourable’——stoodstarklylanguidforthatgambler’sNirvanawhichhadbeenthesummumbonumoftheold’dandies’andof’themashers’intheeighties。AndroundCrumwerestillgatheredaforlornhopeofblue-bloodswithaplutocraticfollowing。
Buttherewasbetweenthecousinsanotherfarlessobviousantipathy——comingfromtheunseizablefamilyresemblance，whicheachperhapsresented；orfromsomehalf-consciousnessofthatoldfeudpersistingstillbetweentheirbranchesoftheclan，formedwithinthembyoddwordsorhalf-hintsdroppedbytheirelders。
AndJolly，tinklinghisteaspoon，wasmusing：’Histie-pinandhiswaistcoatandhisdrawlandhisbetting——goodLord！’
AndVal，finishinghisbun，wasthinking：’He’sratherayoungbeast！’”Isupposeyou’llbemeetingyourpeople?”hesaid，gettingup。”Iwishyou’dtellthemIshouldliketoshowthemoverB。N。C——notthatthere’sanythingmuchthere——ifthey’dcaretocome。””Thanks，I’llaskthem。””Wouldtheylunch?I’vegotratheradecentscout。”
Jollydoubtediftheywouldhavetime。”You’llaskthem，though?””Verygoodofyou，”saidJolly，fullymeaningthattheyshouldnotgo；but，instinctivelypolite，headded：”You’dbettercomeandhavedinnerwithusto-morrow。””Rather。Whattime?””Seven-thirty。””Dress?””No。”Andtheyparted，asubtleantagonismalivewithinthem。
Hollyandherfatherarrivedbyamiddaytrain。Itwasherfirstvisittothecityofspiresanddreams，andshewasverysilent，lookingalmostshylyatthebrotherwhowaspartofthiswonderfulplace。Afterlunchshewandered，examininghishouseholdgodswithintensecuriosity。Jolly’ssitting-roomwaspanelled，andArtrepresentedbyasetofBartolozziprintswhichhadbelongedtooldJolyon，andbycollegephotographs——ofyoungmen，liveyoungmen，alittleheroic，andtobecomparedwithhermemoriesofVal。Jolyonalsoscrutinisedwithcarethatevidenceofhisboy’scharacterandtastes。