Jollywasanxiousthattheyshouldseehimrowing,sotheysetforthtotheriver。Holly,betweenherbrotherandherfather,feltelatedwhenheadswereturnedandeyesrestedonher。ThattheymightseehimtothebestadvantagetheylefthimattheBargeandcrossedtherivertothetowing-path。Slightinbuild——forofalltheForsytesonlyoldSwithinandGeorgewerebeefy——Jollywasrowing’Two’inatrialeight。Helookedveryearnestandstrenuous。WithprideJolyonthoughthimthebest-lookingboyofthelot;Holly,asbecameasister,wasmorestruckbyoneortwooftheothers,butwouldnothavesaidsofortheworld。Theriverwasbrightthatafternoon,themeadowslush,thetreesstillbeautifulwithcolour。Distinguishedpeaceclungaroundtheoldcity;Jolyonpromisedhimselfaday’ssketchingiftheweatherheld。TheEightpassedasecondtime,spurtinghomealongtheBarges——Jolly’sfacewasveryset,soasnottoshowthathewasblown。Theyreturnedacrosstheriverandwaitedforhim。”Oh!”saidJollyintheChristChurchmeadows,”IhadtoaskthatchapValDartietodinewithusto-night。HewantedtogiveyoulunchandshowyouB。N。C。,soIthoughtI’dbetter;thenyouneedn’tgo。Idon’tlikehimmuch。”
Holly’srathersallowfacehadbecomesuffusedwithpink。”Whynot?””Oh!Idon’tknow。Heseemstomerathershowyandbadform。Whatarehispeoplelike,Dad?He’sonlyasecondcousin,isn’the?”
Jolyontookrefugeinasmile。”AskHolly,”hesaid;”shesawhisuncle。””IlikedVal,”Hollyanswered,staringatthegroundbeforeher;”hisunclelooked——awfullydifferent。”ShestoleaglanceatJollyfromunderherlashes。”Didyouever,”saidJolyonwithwhimsicalintention,”hearourfamilyhistory,mydears?It’squiteafairytale。ThefirstJolyonForsyte——atalleventsthefirstweknowanythingof,andthatwouldbeyourgreat-great-grandfather——dweltinthelandofDorsetontheedgeofthesea,beingbyprofessionan’agriculturalist,’asyourgreat-auntputit,andthesonofanagriculturist——farmers,infact;yourgrandfatherusedtocallthem,’Verysmallbeer,’”HelookedatJollytoseehowhislordlinesswasstandingit,andwiththeothereyenotedHolly’smaliciouspleasureintheslightdropofherbrother’sface。”Wemaysupposehimthickandsturdy,standingforEnglandasitwasbeforetheIndustrialErabegan。ThesecondJolyonForsyte——
yourgreat-grandfather,Jolly;betterknownasSuperiorDossetForsyte——builthouses,sothechronicleruns,begattenchildren,andmigratedtoLondontown。Itisknownthathedranksherry。WemaysupposehimrepresentingtheEnglandofNapoleon’swars,andgeneralunrest。TheeldestofhissixsonswasthethirdJolyon,yourgrandfather,mydears——teamerchantandchairmanofcompanies,oneofthesoundestEnglishmenwhoeverlived——andtomethedearest。”Jolyon’svoicehadlostitsirony,andhissonanddaughtergazedathimsolemnly,”Hewasjustandtenacious,tenderandyoungatheart。Yourememberhim,andIrememberhim。Passtotheothers!Yourgreat-uncleJames,that’syoungVal’sgrand-
father,hadasoncalledSoames——wherebyhangsataleofnolovelost,andIdon’tthinkI’lltellityou。Jamesandtheothereightchildrenof’SuperiorDosset,’ofwhomtherearestillfivealive,maybesaidtohaverepresentedVictorianEngland,withitsprinciplesoftradeandindividualismatfivepercent。andyourmoneyback——ifyouknowwhatthatmeans。Atalleventsthey’veturnedthirtythousandpoundsintoacoolmillionbetweentheminthecourseoftheirlonglives。Theyneverdidawildthing——
unlessitwasyourgreat-uncleSwithin,whoIbelievewasonceswindledatthimble-rig,andwascalled’Four-in-handForsyte’
becausehedroveapair。Theirdayispassing,andtheirtype,notaltogetherfortheadvantageofthecountry。Theywerepedestrian,buttheytooweresound。IamthefourthJolyonForsyte——apoorholderofthename——””No,Dad,”saidJolly,andHollysqueezedhishand。”Yes,”repeatedJolyon,”apoorspecimen,representing,I’mafraid,nothingbuttheendofthecentury,unearnedincome,amateurism,andindividualliberty——adifferentthingfromindividualism,Jolly。YouarethefifthJolyonForsyte,oldman,andyouopentheballofthenewcentury。”
Ashespoketheyturnedinthroughthecollegegates,andHollysaid:”It’sfascinating,Dad。”
Noneofthemquiteknewwhatshemeant。Jollywasgrave。
TheRainbow,distinguished,asonlyanOxfordhostelcanbe,forlackofmodernity,providedonesmalloak-panelledprivatesitting-
room,inwhichHollysattoreceive,white-frocked,shy,andalone,whentheonlyguestarrived。Ratherasonewouldtouchamoth,Valtookherhand。Andwouldn’tshewearthis’measlyflower’?Itwouldlookrippinginherhair。Heremovedagardeniafromhiscoat。”Oh!No,thankyou——Icouldn’t!”Butshetookitandpinneditatherneck,havingsuddenlyrememberedthatword’showy’!Val’sbuttonholewouldgiveoffence;andshesomuchwantedJollytolikehim。DidsherealisethatValwasathisbestandquietestinherpresence,andwasthat,perhaps,halfthesecretofhisattractionforher?”Ineversaidanythingaboutourride,Val。””Rathernot!It’sjustbetweenus。”
Bytheuneasinessofhishandsandthefidgetingofhisfeethewasgivingherasenseofpowerverydelicious;asoftfeelingtoo——thewishtomakehimhappy。”DotellmeaboutOxford。Itmustbeeversolovely。”
Valadmittedthatitwasfrightfullydecenttodowhatyouliked;
thelectureswerenothing;andthereweresomeverygoodchaps。”Only,”headded,”ofcourseIwishIwasintown,andcouldcomedownandseeyou。”
Hollymovedonehandshylyonherknee,andherglancedropped。”Youhaven’tforgotten,”hesaid,suddenlygatheringcourage,”thatwe’regoingmad-rabbitingtogether?”
Hollysmiled。”Oh!Thatwasonlymake-believe。Onecan’tdothatsortofthingafterone’sgrownup,youknow。””Dashit!cousinscan,”saidVal。”NextLongVac——itbeginsinJune,youknow,andgoesonforever——we’llwatchourchance。”
But,thoughthethrillofconspiracyranthroughherveins,Hollyshookherhead。”Itwon’tcomeoff,”shemurmured。”Won’tit!”saidValfervently;”who’sgoingtostopit?Notyourfatheroryourbrother。”
AtthismomentJolyonandJollycamein;andromancefledintoVal’spatentleatherandHolly’swhitesatintoes,whereititchedandtingledduringaneveningnotconspicuousforopen-heartedness。
Sensitivetoatmosphere,Jolyonsoonfeltthelatentantagonismbetweentheboys,andwaspuzzledbyHolly;sohebecameun-
consciouslyironical,whichisfataltotheexpansivenessofyouth。
Aletter,handedtohimafterdinner,reducedhimtoasilencehardlybrokentillJollyandValrosetogo。Hewentoutwiththem,smokinghiscigar,andwalkedwithhissontothegatesofChristChurch。Turningback,hetookouttheletterandreaditagainbeneathalamp。”DEARJOLYON,”Soamescameagainto-night——mythirty-seventhbirthday。Youwereright,Imustn’tstayhere。I’mgoingto-morrowtothePiedmontHotel,butIwon’tgoabroadwithoutseeingyou。Ifeellonelyanddown-hearted。”Yoursaffectionately,”IRENE。”
Hefoldedtheletterbackintohispocketandwalkedon,astonishedattheviolenceofhisfeelings。Whathadthefellowsaidordone?
Heturned,intoHighStreet,downtheTurf,andonamongamazeofspiresanddomesandlongcollegefrontsandwalls,brightordarkshadowedinthestrongmoonlight。InthisveryheartofEngland’sgentilityitwasdifficulttorealisethatalonelywomancouldbeimportunedorhunted,butwhatelsecouldherlettermean?
Soamesmusthavebeenpressinghertogobacktohimagain,withpublicopinionandtheLawonhisside,too!’Eighteen-ninety-
nine!,’hethought,gazingatthebrokenglassshiningonthetopofavillagardenwall;’butwhenitcomestopropertywe’restillaheathenpeople!I’llgoupto-morrowmorning。Idaresayit’llbebestforhertogoabroad。’Yetthethoughtdispleasedhim。
WhyshouldSoameshuntheroutofEngland!Besides,hemightfollow,andoutthereshewouldbestillmorehelplessagainsttheattentionsofherownhusband!’Imusttreadwarily,’hethought;
’thatfellowcouldmakehimselfverynasty。Ididn’tlikehismannerinthecabtheothernight。’HisthoughtsturnedtohisdaughterJune。Couldshehelp?OnceonatimeIrenehadbeenhergreatestfriend,andnowshewasa’lameduck,’suchasmustappealtoJune’snature!HedeterminedtowiretohisdaughtertomeethimatPaddingtonStation。RetracinghisstepstowardstheRainbowhequestionedhisownsensations。Wouldhebeupsettinghimselfovereverywomaninlikecase?No!hewouldnot。Thecandourofthisconclusiondiscomfitedhim;and,findingthatHollyhadgoneuptobed,hesoughthisownroom。Buthecouldnotsleep,andsatforalongtimeathiswindow,huddledinanovercoat,watchingthemoonlightontheroofs。
NextdoorHollytoowasawake,thinkingofthelashesaboveandbelowVal’seyes,especiallybelow;andofwhatshecoulddotomakeJollylikehimbetter。Thescentofthegardeniawasstronginherlittlebedroom,andpleasanttoher。
AndVal,leaningoutofhisfirst-floorwindowinB。N。C。,wasgazingatamoonlitquadranglewithoutseeingitatall,seeinginsteadHolly,slimandwhite-frocked,asshesatbesidethefirewhenhefirstwentin。