Herosefromthescooped-outredvelvetseatwithafeelingofconstrictionabouthisvitals。Hewouldneversleepwiththisgoingoninhim！And，takingcoatandhatagain，hewentout，movingeastward。InTrafalgarSquarehebecameawareofsomespecialcommotiontravellingtowardshimoutofthemouthoftheStrand。Itmaterialisedinnewspapermencallingoutsoloudlythatnowordswhatevercouldbeheard。Hestoppedtolisten，andonecameby。”Payper！Special！UltimatiumbyKrooger！Declarationofwar！”
Soamesboughtthepaper。Thereitwasinthestoppress……！Hisfirstthoughtwas：’TheBoersarecommittingsuicide。’Hissecond：
’IsthereanythingstillIoughttosell?’Ifsohehadmissedthechance——therewouldcertainlybeaslumpinthecityto-morrow。Heswallowedthisthoughtwithanodofdefiance。Thatultimatumwasinsolent——soonerthanletitpasshewaspreparedtolosemoney。
Theywantedalesson，andtheywouldgetit；butitwouldtakethreemonthsatleasttobringthemtoheel。Thereweren’tthetroopsoutthere；alwaysbehindtime，theGovernment！Confoundthosenewspaperrats！Whatwastheuseofwakingeverybodyup?
Breakfastto-morrowwasquitesoonenough。Andhethoughtwithalarmofhisfather。TheywouldcryitdownParkLane。Hailingahansom，hegotinandtoldthemantodrivethere。
JamesandEmilyhadjustgoneuptobed，andaftercommunicatingthenewstoWarmson，Soamespreparedtofollow。Hepausedbyafter-thoughttosay：”Whatdoyouthinkofit，Warmson?”
ThebutlerceasedpassingahatbrushoverthesilkhatSoameshadtakenoff，and，inclininghisfacealittleforward，saidinalowvoice：”Well，sir，they’aven’tachance，ofcourse；butI’mtoldthey’reverygoodshots。I’vegotasonintheInniskillings。””You，Warmson?Why，Ididn’tknowyouweremarried。””No，sir。Idon’ttalkofit。Iexpecthe’llbegoingout。”
TheslightershockSoameshadfeltondiscoveringthatheknewsolittleofonewhomhethoughtheknewsowellwaslostintheslightshockofdiscoveringthatthewarmighttouchonepersonally。BornintheyearoftheCrimeanWar，hehadonlycometoconsciousnessbythetimetheIndianMutinywasover；sincethenthemanylittlewarsoftheBritishEmpirehadbeenentirelyprofessional，quiteunconnectedwiththeForsytesandalltheystoodforinthebodypolitic。Thiswarwouldsurelybenoexception。Buthismindranhastilyoverhisfamily。TwooftheHaymans，hehadheard，wereinsomeYeomanryorother——ithadalwaysbeenapleasantthought，therewasacertaindistinctionabouttheYeomanry；theywore，orusedtowear，ablueuniformwithsilveraboutit，androdehorses。AndArchibald，heremembered，hadonceonatimejoinedtheMilitia，buthadgivenitupbecausehisfather，Nicholas，hadmadesuchafussabouthis’wastinghistimepeacockingaboutinauniform。’RecentlyhehadheardsomewherethatyoungNicholas’eldest，veryyoungNicholas，hadbecomeaVolunteer。’No，’thoughtSoames，mountingthestairsslowly，’there’snothinginthat！’
Hestoodonthelandingoutsidehisparents’bedanddressingrooms，debatingwhetherornottoputhisnoseinandsayareassuringword。Openingthelandingwindow，helistened。TherumblefromPiccadillywasallthesoundheheard，andwiththethought，’Ifthesemotor-carsincrease，it’llaffecthouseproperty，’hewasabouttopassonuptotheroomalwayskeptreadyforhimwhenheheard，distantasyet，thehoarserushingcallofanewsvendor。Thereitwas，andcomingpastthehouse！Heknockedonhismother’sdoorandwentin。
Hisfatherwassittingupinbed，withhisearsprickedunderthewhitehairwhichEmilykeptsobeautifullycut。Helookedpink，andextraordinarilyclean，inhissettingofwhitesheetandpillow，outofwhichthepointsofhishigh，thin，nightgownedshouldersemergedinsmallpeaks。Hiseyesalone，greyanddistrustfulundertheirwitheredlids，weremovingfromthewindowtoEmily，whoinawrapperwaswalkingupanddown，squeezingarubberballattachedtoascentbottle。Theroomreekedfaintlyoftheeau-de-Cologneshewasspraying。”Allright！”saidSoames，”it’snotafire。TheBoershavedeclaredwar——that’sall。”
Emilystoppedherspraying。”Oh！”wasallshesaid，andlookedatJames。
Soames，too，lookedathisfather。Hewastakingitdifferentlyfromtheirexpectation，asifsomethought，strangetothem，wereworkinginhim。”H’m！”hemutteredsuddenly，”Ishan’tlivetoseetheendofthis。””Nonsense，James！It’llbeoverbyChristmas。””Whatdoyouknowaboutit?”Jamesansweredherwithasperity。”It’saprettymessatthistimeofnight，too！”Helapsedintosilence，andhiswifeandson，asifhypnotised，waitedforhimtosay：’Ican’ttell——Idon’tknow；Iknewhowitwouldbe！’Buthedidnot。Thegreyeyesshifted，evidentlyseeingnothingintheroom；thenmovementoccurredunderthebedclothes，andthekneesweredrawnupsuddenlytoagreatheight。”TheyoughttosendoutRoberts。ItallcomesfromthatfellowGladstoneandhisMajuba。”
Thetwolistenersnotedsomethingbeyondtheusualinhisvoice，somethingofrealanxiety。Itwasasifhehadsaid：’Ishallneverseetheoldcountrypeacefulandsafeagain。IshallhavetodiebeforeIknowshe’swon。’AndinspiteofthefeelingthatJamesmustnotbeencouragedtobefussy，theyweretouched。
Soameswentuptothebedsideandstrokedhisfather’shandwhichhademergedfromunderthebedclothes，longandwrinkledwithveins。”Markmywords！”saidJames，”consolswillgotopar。ForallI
know，Valmaygoandenlist。””Oh，come，James！”criedEmily，”youtalkasifthereweredanger。”
HercomfortablevoiceseemedtosootheJamesforonce。”Well，”hemuttered，”Itoldyouhowitwouldbe。Idon’tknow，I’msurenobodytellsmeanything。Areyousleepinghere，myboy?”
Thecrisiswaspast，hewouldnowcomposehimselftohisnormaldegreeofanxiety；and，assuringhisfatherthathewassleepinginthehouse，Soamespressedhishand，andwentuptohisroom。
ThefollowingafternoonwitnessedthegreatestcrowdTimothy’shadknownformanyayear。Onnationaloccasions，suchasthis，itwas，indeed，almostimpossibletoavoidgoingthere。Notthattherewasanydangerorratheronlyjustenoughtomakeitnecessarytoassureeachotherthattherewasnone。
Nicholaswasthereearly。HehadseenSoamesthenightbefore——
Soameshadsaiditwasboundtocome。ThisoldKrugerwasinhisdotage——why，hemustbeseventy-fiveifhewasaday！
Nicholaswaseighty-two。WhathadTimothysaid?HehadhadafitafterMajuba。TheseBoerswereagraspinglot！Thedark-hairedFrancie，whohadarrivedonhisheels，withthecontradictioustouchwhichbecamethefreespiritofadaughterofRoger，chimedin：”Kettleandpot，UncleNicholas。WhatpricetheUitlanders?”Whatprice；indeed！Anewexpression，andbelievedtobeduetoherbrotherGeorge。
AuntJuleythoughtFrancieoughtnottosaysuchathing。DearMrs。MacAnder’sboy，CharlieMacAnder，wasone，andnoonecouldcallhimgrasping。AtthisFrancieutteredoneofhermots，scandalising，andsofrequentlyrepeated：”Well，hisfather’saScotchman，andhismother’sacat。”
AuntJuleycoveredherears，toolate，butAuntHestersmiled；asforNicholas，hepouted-witticismofwhichhewasnottheauthorwashardlytohistaste。JustthenMarianTweetymanarrived，followedalmostimmediatelybyyoungNicholas。Onseeinghisson，Nicholasrose。”Well，Imustbegoing，”hesaid，”Nickherewilltellyouwhat’llwintherace。”Andwiththishitathiseldest，who，asapillarofaccountancy，anddirectorofaninsurancecompany，wasnomoreaddictedtosportthanhisfatherhadeverbeen，hedeparted。DearNicholas！Whatracewasthat?Orwasitonlyoneofhisjokes?
Hewasawonderfulmanforhisage！HowmanylumpswoulddearMariantake?AndhowwereGilesandJesse?AuntJuleysupposedtheirYeomanrywouldbeverybusynow，guardingthecoast，thoughofcoursetheBoershadnoships。ButoneneverknewwhattheFrenchmightdoiftheyhadthechance，especiallysincethatdreadfulFashodascare，whichhadupsetTimothysoterriblythathehadmadenoinvestmentsformonthsafterwards。ItwastheingratitudeoftheBoersthatwassodreadful，aftereverythinghadbeendoneforthem——Dr。Jamesonimprisoned，andhewassonice，Mrs。MacAnderhadalwayssaid。AndSirAlfredMilnersentouttotalktothem——suchacleverman！Shedidn’tknowwhattheywanted。
Butatthismomentoccurredoneofthosesensations——sopreciousatTimothy’s——whichgreatoccasionssometimesbringforth：”MissJuneForsyte。”
AuntsJuleyandHesterwereontheirfeetatonce，tremblingfromsmotheredresentment，andoldaffectionbubblingup，andprideatthereturnofaprodigalJune！Well，thiswasasurprise！DearJune——afteralltheseyears！Andhowwellshewaslooking！Notchangedatall！Itwasalmostontheirlipstoadd，’Andhowisyourdeargrandfather?’forgettinginthatgiddymomentthatpoordearJolyonhadbeeninhisgraveforsevenyearsnow。
EverthemostcourageousanddownrightofalltheForsytes，June，withherdecidedchinandherspiritedeyesandherhairlikeflame，satdown，slightandshort，onagiltchairwithabead-
workedseat，foralltheworldasiftenyearshadnotelapsedsinceshehadbeentoseethem——tenyearsoftravelandindependenceanddevotiontolameducks。Thoseducksoflatehadbeenalldefinitelypainters，etchers，orsculptors，sothatherimpatiencewiththeForsytesandtheirhopelesslyinartisticoutlookhadbecomeintense。Indeed，shehadalmostceasedtobelievethatherfamilyexisted，andlookedroundhernowwithasortofchallengingdirectnesswhichbroughtexquisitediscomforttotheroomful。Shehadnotexpectedtomeetanyofthembut’thepooroldthings’；andwhyshehadcometoseethemshehardlyknew，exceptthat，whileonherwayfromOxfordStreettoastudioinLatimerRoad，shehadsuddenlyrememberedthemwithcompunctionastwolong-neglectedoldlameducks。