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。