”Aren’tyou?”askedValhardily。”I?”repliedJames，flustered。”I’vegotsomanyexpenses。Yourfather……”andhewassilent。”CousinJolyon’sgotanawfullyjollyplace。IwentdowntherewithUncleSoames——rippingstables。””Ah！”murmuredJamesprofoundly。”Thathouse——Iknewhowitwouldbe！”Andhelapsedintogloomymeditationoverhisfish-bones。Hisson’stragedy，andthedeepcleavageithadcausedintheForsytefamily，hadstillthepowertodrawhimdownintoawhirlpoolofdoubtsandmisgivings。Val，whohankeredtotalkofRobinHill，becauseRobinHillmeantHolly，turnedtoEmilyandsaid：”WasthatthehousebuiltforUncleSoames?”And，receivinghernod，wenton：”Iwishyou’dtellmeabouthim，Granny。WhatbecameofAuntIrene?Isshestillgoing?Heseemsawfullyworked-upaboutsomethingto-night。”
Emilylaidherfingeronherlips，butthewordIrenehadcaughtJames’ear。”What’sthat?”hesaid，stayingapieceofmuttonclosetohislips。”Who’sbeenseeingher?Iknewwehadn’theardthelastofthat。””Now，James，”saidEmily，”eatyourdinner。Nobody’sbeenseeinganybody。”
Jamesputdownhisfork。”Thereyougo，”hesaid。”Imightdiebeforeyou’dtellmeofit。
IsSoamesgettingadivorce?””Nonsense，”saidEmilywithincomparableaplomb；”Soamesismuchtoosensible。”
Jameshadsoughthisownthroat，gatheringthelongwhitewhiskerstogetherontheskinandboneofit。”She——shewasalways……”hesaid，andwiththatenigmaticremarktheconversationlapsed，forWarmsonhadreturned。Butlater，whenthesaddleofmuttonhadbeensucceededbysweet，savoury，anddessert，andValhadreceivedachequefortwentypoundsandhisgrandfather’skiss——likenootherkissintheworld，fromlipspushedoutwithasortoffearfulsuddenness，asifyieldingtoweakness——hereturnedtothechargeinthehall。”TellusaboutUncleSoames，Granny。Whyishesokeenonmother’sgettingadivorce?””YourUncleSoames，”saidEmily，andhervoicehadinitanexaggeratedassurance，”isalawyer，mydearboy。He’ssuretoknowbest。””Ishe?”mutteredVal。”ButwhatdidbecomeofAuntIrene?I
remembershewasjollygood-looking。””She——er……”saidEmily，”behavedverybadly。Wedon’ttalkaboutit。””Well，Idon’twanteverybodyatOxfordtoknowaboutouraffairs，”
ejaculatedVal；”it’sabrutalidea。Whycouldn’tfatherbepre-
ventedwithoutitsbeingmadepublic?”
Emilysighed。Shehadalwayslivedratherinanatmosphereofdivorce，owingtoherfashionableproclivities——somanyofthosewhoselegshadbeenunderhertablehavinggainedacertainnotor-
iety。When，however，ittouchedherownfamily，shelikeditnobetterthanotherpeople。Butshewaseminentlypractical，andawomanofcourage，whoneverpursuedashadowinpreferencetoitssubstance。”Yourmother，”shesaid，”willbehappierifshe’squitefree，Val。
Good-night，mydearboy；anddon’twearloudwaistcoatsupatOxford，they’renotthethingjustnow。Here’salittlepresent。”
Withanotherfivepoundsinhishand，andalittlewarmthinhisheart，forhewasfondofhisgrandmother，hewentoutintoParkLane。Awindhadclearedthemist，theautumnleaveswererustling，andthestarswereshining。Withallthatmoneyinhispocketanimpulseto’seelife’besethim；buthehadnotgonefortyyardsinthedirectionofPiccadillywhenHolly’sshyface，andhereyeswithanimpdancingintheirgravity，cameupbeforehim，andhishandseemedtobetinglingagainfromthepressureofherwarmglovedhand。’No，dashit！’hethought，’I’mgoinghome！’
CHAPTERX
SOAMESENTERTAINSTHEFUTURE
Itwasfulllatefortheriver，buttheweatherwaslovely，andsummerlingeredbelowtheyellowingleaves。SoamestookmanylooksatthedayfromhisriversidegardennearMapledurhamthatSundaymorning。
Withhisownhandsheputflowersabouthislittlehouse-boat，andequippedthepunt，inwhich，afterlunch，heproposedtotakethemontheriver。PlacingthoseChinese-lookingcushions，hecouldnottellwhetherornohewishedtotakeAnnettealone。Shewassoverypretty——couldhetrusthimselfnottosayirrevocablewords，passingbeyondthelimitsofdiscretion?Rosesontheverandawerestillinbloom，andthehedgesever-green，sothattherewasalmostnothingofmiddle-agedautumntochillthemood；yetwashenervous，fidgety，strangelydistrustfulofhispowerstosteerjusttherightcourse。ThisvisithadbeenplannedtoproduceinAnnetteandhermotheraduesenseofhispossessions，sothattheyshouldbereadytoreceivewithrespectanyoverturemightlaterbedisposedtomake。Hedressedwithgreatcare，makinghimselfneithertooyoungnortooold，verythankfulthathishairwasstillthickandsmoothandhadnogreyinit。Threetimeshewentuptohispicture-gallery。Iftheyhadanyknowledgeatall，theymustseeatoncethathiscollectionalonewasworthatleastthirtythousandpounds。Heminutelyinspected，too，theprettybedroomoverlookingtheriverwheretheywouldtakeofftheirhats。
Itwouldbeherbedroomif——ifthematterwentthrough，andshebecamehiswife。Goinguptothedressing-tablehepassedhishandoverthelilac-colouredpincushion，intowhichwerestuckallkindsofpins；abowlofpot-pourriexhaledascentthatmadehisheadturnjustalittle。Hiswife！Ifonlythewholethingcouldbesettledoutofhand，andtherewasnotthenightmareofthisdivorcetobegonethroughfirst；andwithgloompuckeredonhisforehead，helookedoutattherivershiningbeyondtherosesandthelawn。MadameLamottewouldneverresistthisprospectforherchild；Annettewouldneverresisthermother。Ifonlyhewerefree！Hedrovetothestationtomeetthem。WhattasteFrench-
womenhad！MadameLamottewasinblackwithtouchesoflilaccolour，Annetteingreyishlilaclinen，withcreamcolouredglovesandhat。RatherpaleshelookedandLondony；andherblueeyesweredemure。Waitingforthemtocomedowntolunch，Soamesstoodintheopenfrench-windowofthediningroommovedbythatsensuousdelightinsunshineandflowersandtreeswhichonlycametothefullwhenyouthandbeautyweretheretoshareitwithone。Hehadorderedthelunchwithintenseconsideration；thewinewasaveryspecialSauterne，thewholeappointmentsofthemealperfect，thecoffeeservedontheverandasuper-excellent。MadameLamotteacceptedcremedementhe；Annetterefused。Hermannerswerecharming，withjustasuspicionof’theconsciousbeauty’creepingintothem。’Yes，’thoughtSoames，’anotheryearofLondonandthatsortoflife，andshe’llbespoiled。’
MadamewasinsedateFrenchraptures。”Adorable！Lesoleilestsibon！Howeverythingischic，isitnot，Annette?MonsieurisarealMonteCristo。”Annettemurmuredassent，withalookupatSoameswhichhecouldnotread。Heproposedaturnontheriver。
ButtopunttwopersonswhenoneofthemlookedsoravishingonthoseChinesecushionswasmerelytosufferfromasenseoflostopportunity；sotheywentbutashortwaytowardsPangbourne，driftingslowlyback，witheverynowandthenanautumnleafdroppingonAnnetteoronhermother’sblackamplitude。AndSoameswasnothappy，worriedbythethought：’How——when——where——canI
say——what?’Theydidnotyetevenknowthathewasmarried。Totellthemhewasmarriedmightjeopardisehiseverychance；yet，ifhedidnotdefinitelymakethemunderstandthathewishedforAnnette’shand，itwouldbedroppingintosomeotherclutchbeforehewasfreetoclaimit。
Attea，whichtheybothtookwithlemon，SoamesspokeoftheTransvaal。”There’llbewar，”hesaid。
MadameLamottelamented。”Cespauvresgensbergers！”Couldtheynotbelefttothemselves?
Soamessmiled——thequestionseemedtohimabsurd。
SurelyasawomanofbusinesssheunderstoodthattheBritishcouldnotabandontheirlegitimatecommercialinterests。”Ah！that！”ButMadameLamottefoundthattheEnglishwerealittlehypocrite。TheyweretalkingofjusticeandtheUitlanders，notofbusiness。Monsieurwasthefirstwhohadspokentoherofthat。”TheBoersareonlyhalf-civilised，”remarkedSoames；”theystandinthewayofprogress。Itwillneverdotoletoursuzeraintygo。””Whatdoesthatmeantosay?Suzerainty！
Whatastrangeword！”Soamesbecameeloquent，rousedbythesethreatstotheprincipleofpossession，andstimulatedbyAnnette’seyesfixedonhim。Hewasdelightedwhenpresentlyshesaid：”IthinkMonsieurisright。Theyshouldbetaughtalesson。”Shewassensible！”Ofcourse，”hesaid，”wemustactwithmoderation。I’mnojingo。
Wemustbefirmwithoutbullying。Willyoucomeupandseemypictures?”Movingfromonetoanotherofthesetreasures，hesoonperceivedthattheyknewnothing。TheypassedhislastMauve，thatremarkablestudyofa’Hay-cartgoingHome，’asifitwerealithograph。Hewaitedalmostwithawetoseehowtheywouldviewthejewelofhiscollection——anIsraelswhosepricehehadwatchedascendingtillhewasnowalmostcertainithadreachedtopvalue，andwouldbebetteronthemarketagain。Theydidnotviewitatall。Thiswasashock；andyettohaveinAnnetteavirgintastetoformwouldbebetterthantohavethesilly，half-bakedpre-