第42章

"I don't much like riding his horse,"he said."He mightn't like it.Besides,Uncle Soames wants to get back,I expect.Not that Ibelieve in buckling under to him,you know.You haven't got an uncle,have you?This is rather a good beast,"he added,scrutinising Jolly's horse,a dark brown,which was showing the whites of its eyes."You haven't got any hunting here,I suppose?""No;I don't know that I want to hunt.It must be awfully exciting,of course;but it's cruel,isn't it?June says so.""Cruel?"ejaculated Val."Oh!that's all rot.Who's June?""My sister--my half-sister,you know--much older than me."She had put her hands up to both cheeks of Jolly's horse,and was rubbing her nose against its nose with a gentle snuffling noise which seemed to have an hypnotic effect on the animal.Val contemplated her cheek resting against the horse's nose,and her eyes gleaming round at him.'She's really a duck,'he thought.

They returned to the house less talkative,followed this time by the dog Balthasar,walking more slowly than anything on earth,and clearly expecting them not to exceed his speed limit.

"This is a ripping place,"said Val from under the oak tree,where they had paused to allow the dog Balthasar to come up.

"Yes,"said Holly,and sighed."Of course I want to go everywhere.

I wish I were a gipsy."

"Yes,gipsies are jolly,"replied Val,with a conviction which had just come to him;"you're rather like one,you know."Holly's face shone suddenly and deeply,like dark leaves gilded by the sun.

"To go mad-rabbiting everywhere and see everything,and live in the open--oh!wouldn't it be fun?""Let's do it!"said Val.

"Oh yes,let's!"

"It'd be grand sport,just you and I."

Then Holly perceived the quaintness and gushed.

"Well,we've got to do it,"said Val obstinately,but reddening too.

"I believe in doing things you want to do.What's down there?""The kitchen-garden,and the pond and the coppice,and the farm.""Let's go down!"

Holly glanced back at the house.

"It's tea-time,I expect;there's Dad beckoning."Val,uttering a growly sound,followed her towards the house.

When they re-entered the hall gallery the sight of two middle-aged Forsytes drinking tea together had its magical effect,and they became quite silent.It was,indeed,an impressive spectacle.The two were seated side by side on an arrangement in marqueterie which looked like three silvery pink chairs made one,with a low tea-table in front of them.They seemed to have taken up that position,as far apart as the seat would permit,so that they need not look at each other too much;and they were eating and drinking rather than talking--Soames with his air of despising the tea-cake as it disappeared,Jolyon of finding himself slightly amusing.To the casual eye neither would have seemed greedy,but both were getting through a good deal of sustenance.The two young ones having been supplied with food,the process went on silent and absorbative,till,with the advent of cigarettes,Jolyon said to Soames:

"And how's Uncle James?"

"Thanks,very shaky."

"We're a wonderful family,aren't we?The other day I was calculating the average age of the ten old Forsytes from my father's family Bible.I make it eighty-four already,and five still living.They ought to beat the record;"and looking whimsically at Soames,he added:

"We aren't the men they were,you know."

Soames smiled.'Do you really think I shall admit that I'm not their equal';he seemed to be saying,'or that I've got to give up anything,especially life?'

"We may live to their age,perhaps,"pursued Jolyon,"but self-consciousness is a handicap,you know,and that's the difference between us.We've lost conviction.How and when self-consciousness was born I never can make out.My father had a little,but I don't believe any other of the old Forsytes ever had a scrap.Never to see yourself as others see you,it's a wonderful preservative.The whole history of the last century is in the difference between us.

And between us and you,"he added,gazing through a ring of smoke at Val and Holly,uncomfortable under his quizzical regard,"there'll be--another difference.I wonder what."Soames took out his watch.

"We must go,"he said,"if we're to catch our train.""Uncle Soames never misses a train,"muttered Val,with his mouth full.

"Why should I?"Soames answered simply.

"Oh!I don't know,"grumbled Val,"other people do."At the front door he gave Holly's slim brown hand a long and surreptitious squeeze.

"Look out for me to-morrow,"he whispered;"three o'clock.I'll wait for you in the road;it'll save time.We'll have a ripping ride."He gazed back at her from the lodge gate,and,but for the principles of a man about town,would have waved his hand.He felt in no mood to tolerate his uncle's conversation.But he was not in danger.Soames preserved a perfect muteness,busy with far-away thoughts.

The yellow leaves came down about those two walking the mile and a half which Soames had traversed so often in those long-ago days when he came down to watch with secret pride the building of the house--that house which was to have been the home of him and her from whom he was now going to seek release.He looked back once,up that endless vista of autumn lane between the yellowing hedges.

What an age ago!"I don't want to see her,"he had said to Jolyon.

Was that true?'I may have to,'he thought;and he shivered,seized by one of those queer shudderings that they say mean footsteps on one's grave.A chilly world!A queer world!And glancing sidelong at his nephew,he thought:'Wish I were his age!

I wonder what she's like now!'