Thewardraggedon。Nicholashadbeenheardtosaythatitwouldcostthreehundredmillionsifitcostapennybeforethey’ddonewithit！Theincome-taxwasseriouslythreatened。Still，therewouldbeSouthAfricafortheirmoney，onceforall。Andthoughthepossessiveinstinctfeltbadlyshakenatthreeo’clockinthemorning，itrecoveredbybreakfast-timewiththerecollectionthatonegetsnothinginthisworldwithoutpayingforit。So，onthewhole，peoplewentabouttheirbusinessmuchasiftherewerenowar，noconcentrationcamps，noslipperydeWet，nofeelingontheContinent，noanythingunpleasant。Indeed，theattitudeofthenationwastypifiedbyTimothy’smap，whoseanimationwassuspended——forTimothynolongermovedtheflags，andtheycouldnotmovethemselves，notevenbackwardsandforwardsastheyshouldhavedone。
Suspendedanimationwentfurther；itinvadedForsyte’Change，andproducedageneraluncertaintyastowhatwasgoingtohappennext。
TheannouncementinthemarriagecolumnofTheTimes，’JolyonForsytetoIrene，onlydaughterofthelateProfessorHeron，’hadoccasioneddoubtwhetherIrenehadbeenjustlydescribed。Andyet，onthewhole，reliefwasfeltthatshehadnotbeenenteredas’Irene，latethewife，’or’thedivorcedwife，’’ofSoamesForsyte。’Altogether，therehadbeenakindofsublimityfromthefirstaboutthewaythefamilyhadtakenthat’affair。’AsJameshadphrasedit，’Thereitwas！’Nousetofuss！Nothingtobehadoutofadmittingthatithadbeena’nastyjar’——inthephraseologyoftheday。
ButwhatwouldhappennowthatbothSoamesandJolyonweremarriedagain?Thatwasveryintriguing。GeorgewasknowntohavelaidEustacesixtofouronalittleJolyonbeforealittleSoames。
Georgewassodroll！Itwasrumoured，too，thatheandDartiehadabetastowhetherJameswouldattaintheageofninety，thoughwhichofthemhadbackedJamesnooneknew。
EarlyinMay，WinifredcameroundtosaythatValhadbeenwoundedinthelegbyaspentbullet，andwastobedischarged。Hiswifewasnursinghim。Hewouldhavealittlelimp——nothingtospeakof。
Hewantedhisgrandfathertobuyhimafarmouttherewherehecouldbreedhorses。HerfatherwasgivingHollyeighthundredayear，sotheycouldbequitecomfortable，becausehisgrandfatherwouldgiveValfive，hehadsaid；butastothefarm，hedidn’tknow——couldn’ttell：hedidn’twantValtogothrowingawayhismoney。”Butyouknow，”saidWinifred，”hemustdosomething。”
AuntHesterthoughtthatperhapshisdeargrandfatherwaswise，becauseifhedidn’tbuyafarmitcouldn’tturnoutbadly。”ButValloveshorses，”saidWinifred。”It’dbesuchanoccupationforhim。”
AuntJuleythoughtthathorseswereveryuncertain，hadnotMontaguefoundthemso?”Val’sdifferent，”saidWinifred；”hetakesafterme。”
AuntJuleywassurethatdearValwasveryclever。”Ialwaysremember，”sheadded，”howhegavehisbadpennytoabeggar。Hisdeargrandfatherwassopleased。Hethoughtitshowedsuchpresenceofmind。IrememberhissayingthatheoughttogointotheNavy。”
AuntHesterchimedin：DidnotWinifredthinkthatitwasmuchbetterfortheyoungpeopletobesecureandnotrunanyriskattheirage?”Well，”saidWinifred，”iftheywereinLondon，perhaps；inLondonit’samusingtodonothing。Butoutthere，ofcourse，he’llsimplygetboredtodeath。”
AuntHesterthoughtthatitwouldbeniceforhimtowork，ifhewerequitesurenottolosebyit。Itwasnotasiftheyhadnomoney。Timothy，ofcourse，haddonesowellbyretiring。AuntJuleywantedtoknowwhatMontaguehadsaid。
Winifreddidnottellher，forMontaguehadmerelyremarked：”Waittilltheoldmandies。”
AtthismomentFranciewasannounced。Hereyeswerebrimmingwithasmile。”Well，”shesaid，”whatdoyouthinkofit?””Ofwhat，dear?””InTheTimesthismorning。””Wehaven’tseenit，wealwaysreaditafterdinner；Timothyhasittillthen。”
Francierolledhereyes。”Doyouthinkyououghttotellus?”saidAuntJuley。”Whatwasit?””Irene’shadasonatRobinHill。”
AuntJuleydrewinherbreath。”But，”shesaid，”theywereonlymarriedinMarch！””Yes，Auntie；isn’titinteresting?””Well，”saidWinifred，”I’mglad。IwassorryforJolyonlosinghisboy。ItmighthavebeenVal。”
AuntJuleyseemedtogointoasortofdream。”Iwonder，”shemurmured，”whatdearSoameswillthink?Hehassowantedtohaveasonhimself。Alittlebirdhasalwaystoldmethat。””Well，”saidWinifred，”he’sgoingto——baraccidents。”
GladnesstrickledoutofAuntJuley’seyes。”Howdelightful！”shesaid。”When?””November。”
Suchaluckymonth！Butshedidwishitcouldbesooner。ItwasalongtimeforJamestowait，athisage！
Towait！TheydreadeditforJames，buttheywereusedtoitthemselves。Indeed，itwastheirgreatdistraction。Towait！ForTheTimestoread；foroneorotheroftheirniecesornephewstocomeinandcheerthemup；fornewsofNicholas’health；forthatdecisionofChristopher’saboutgoingonthestage；forinformationconcerningthemineofMrs。MacAnder’snephew；forthedoctortocomeaboutHester’sinclinationtowakeupearlyinthemorning；
forbooksfromthelibrarywhichwerealwaysout；forTimothytohaveacold；foranicequietwarmday，nottoohot，whentheycouldtakeaturninKensingtonGardens。Towait，oneoneachsideofthehearthinthedrawing-room，fortheclockbetweenthemtostrike；theirthin，veined，knuckledhandsplyingknitting-needlesandcrochet-hooks，theirhairorderedtostop——likeCanute’swaves——
fromanyfurtheradvanceincolour。TowaitintheirblacksilksorsatinsfortheCourttosaythatHestermightwearherdarkgreen，andJuleyherdarkermaroon。Towait，slowlyturningoverandover，intheiroldmindsthelittlejoysandsorrows，eventsandexpectancies，oftheirlittlefamilyworld，ascowschewpatientcudsinafamiliarfield。Andthisneweventwassowellworthwaitingfor。Soameshadalwaysbeentheirpet，withhistendencytogivethempictures，andhisalmostweeklyvisitswhichtheymissedsomuch，andhisneedfortheirsympathyevokedbythewreckofhisfirstmarriage。Thisnewevent——thebirthofanheirtoSoames——wassoimportantforhim，andforhisdearfather，too，thatJamesmightnothavetodiewithoutsomecertaintyaboutthings。Jamesdidsodislikeuncertainty；andwithMontague，ofcourse，hecouldnotfeelreallysatisfiedtoleavenogrand-
childrenbuttheyoungDarties。Afterall，one’sownnamedidcount！AndasJames’ninetiethbirthdaynearedtheywonderedwhatprecautionshewastaking。HewouldbethefrstoftheForsytestoreachthatage，andset，asitwere，anewstandardinholdingontolife。Thatwassoimportant，theyfelt，attheirageseighty-
sevenandeighty-five；thoughtheydidnotwanttothinkofthemselveswhentheyhadTimothy，whowasnotyeteighty-two，tothinkof。Therewas，ofcourse，abetterworld。’InmyFather’shousearemanymansions’wasoneofAuntJuley’sfavouritesayings——
italwayscomfortedher，withitssuggestionofhouseproperty，whichhadmadethefortuneofdearRoger。TheBiblewas，indeed，agreatresource，andonveryfineSundaystherewaschurchinthemorning；andsometimesJuleywouldstealintoTimothy’sstudywhenshewassurehewasout，andjustputanopenNewTestamentcasuallyamongthebooksonhislittletable——hewasagreatreader，ofcourse，havingbeenapublisher。ButshehadnoticedthatTimothywasalwayscrossatdinnerafterwards。AndSmitherhadtoldhermorethanoncethatshehadpickedbooksoffthefloorindoingtheroom。Still，withallthat，theydidfeelthatheavencouldnotbequitesocosyastheroomsinwhichtheyandTimothyhadbeenwaitingsolong。AuntHester，especially，couldnotbearthethoughtoftheexertion。Anychange，orratherthethoughtofachange——forthereneverwasany——alwaysupsetherverymuch。
AuntJuley，whohadmorespirit，sometimesthoughtitwouldbequiteexciting；shehadsoenjoyedthatvisittoBrightontheyeardearSusandied。ButthenBrightononeknewwasnice，anditwassodifficulttotellwhatheavenwouldbelike，soonthewholeshewasmorethancontenttowait。
OnthemorningofJames’birthday，Augustthe5th，theyfeltextraordinaryanimation，andlittlenotespassedbetweenthembythehandofSmitherwhiletheywerehavingbreakfastintheirbeds。
SmithermustgoroundandtaketheirloveandlittlepresentsandfindouthowMr。Jameswas，andwhetherhehadpassedagoodnightwithalltheexcitement。AndonthewaybackwouldSmithercallinatGreenStreet——itwasalittleoutofherway，butshecouldtakethebusupBondStreetafterwards；itwouldbeanicelittlechangeforher——andaskdearMrs。Dartietobesureandlookinbeforeshewentoutoftown。
AllthisSmitherdid——anundeniableservanttrainedmanyyearsagounderAuntAnntoaperfectionnotnowprocurable。Mr。James，soMrs。Jamessaid，hadpassedanexcellentnight，hesenthislove；
Mrs。Jameshadsaidhewasveryfunnyandhadcomplainedthathedidn’tknowwhatallthefusswasabout。Oh！andMrs。Dartiesentherlove，andshewouldcometotea。