”Iwishtobefree，”saidSoamesabruptly。”Idon’tseeher，”murmuredJolyonthroughthefumeofhiscigarette。”Butyouknowwhereshelives，Isuppose?”Jolyonnodded。Hedidnotmeantogiveheraddresswithoutpermission。Soamesseemedtodivinehisthought。”Idon’twantheraddress，”hesaid；”Iknowit。””Whatexactlydoyouwant?””Shedesertedme。Iwantadivorce。””Ratherlateintheday，isn’tit?””Yes，”saidSoames。Andtherewasasilence。”Idon’tknowmuchaboutthesethings——atleast，I’veforgotten，”
　　saidJolyonwithawrysmile。HehimselfhadhadtowaitfordeathtogranthimadivorcefromthefirstMrs。Jolyon。”Doyouwishmetoseeheraboutit?”
　　Soamesraisedhiseyestohiscousin’sface。”Isupposethere’ssomeone，”hesaid。
　　AshrugmovedJolyon’sshoulders。”Idon’tknowatall。Iimagineyoumayhavebothlivedasiftheotherweredead。It’susualinthesecases。”
　　Soamesturnedtothewindow。Afewearlyfallenoak-leavesstrewedtheterracealready，andwererollingroundinthewind。JolyonsawthefiguresofHollyandValDartiemovingacrossthelawntowardsthestables。’I’mnotgoingtorunwiththehareandhuntwiththehounds，’hethought。’Imustactforher。TheDadwouldhavewishedthat。’Andforaswiftmomentheseemedtoseehisfather’sfigureintheoldarmchair，justbeyondSoames，sittingwithkneescrossed，TheTimesinhishand。Itvanished。”Myfatherwasfondofher，”hesaidquietly。”WhyheshouldhavebeenIdon’tknow，”Soamesansweredwithoutlookinground。”ShebroughttroubletoyourdaughterJune；shebroughttroubletoeveryone。Igaveherallshewanted。Iwouldhavegivenhereven——forgiveness——butshechosetoleaveme。”
　　InJolyoncompassionwascheckedbythetoneofthatclosevoice。
　　Whatwasthereinthefellowthatmadeitsodifficulttobesorryforhim?”Icangoandseeher，ifyoulike，”hesaid。”Isupposeshemightbegladofadivorce，butIknownothing。”
　　Soamesnodded。”Yes，pleasego。AsIsay，Iknowheraddress；butI’venowishtoseeher。”Histonguewasbusywithhislips，asiftheywereverydry。”You’llhavesometea?”saidJolyon，stiflingthewords：’Andseethehouse。’Andheledthewayintothehall。Whenhehadrungthebellandorderedtea，hewenttohiseaseltoturnhisdrawingtothewall。Hecouldnotbear，somehow，thathisworkshouldbeseenbySoames，whowasstandingthereinthemiddleofthegreatroomwhichhadbeendesignedexpresslytoaffordwallspaceforhisownpictures。Inhiscousin’sface，withitsunseizablefamilylikenesstohimself，anditschinny，narrow，concentratedlook，Jolyonsawthatwhichmovedhimtothethought：’Thatchapcouldneverforgetanything——norevergivehimselfaway。He’spathetic！’
　　CHAPTERVII
　　THECOLTANDTHEFILLY
　　WhenyoungValleftthepresenceofthelastgenerationhewasthinking：’Thisisjollydull！UncleSoamesdoestakethebun。
　　Iwonderwhatthisfilly’slike?’Heanticipatednopleasurefromhersociety；andsuddenlyhesawherstandingtherelookingathim。
　　Why，shewaspretty！Whatluck！”I’mafraidyoudon’tknowme，”hesaid。”Myname’sValDartie——
　　I’monceremoved，secondcousin，somethinglikethat，youknow。Mymother’snamewasForsyte。”
　　Holly，whoseslimbrownhandremainedinhisbecauseshewastooshytowithdrawit，said：”Idon’tknowanyofmyrelations。Aretheremany?””Tons。They’reawful——mostofthem。Atleast，Idon’tknow——someofthem。One’srelationsalwaysare，aren’tthey?””Iexpecttheythinkoneawfultoo，”saidHolly。”Idon’tknowwhytheyshould。Noonecouldthinkyouawful，ofcourse。”
　　Hollylookedathim——thewistfulcandourinthosegreyeyesgaveyoungValasuddenfeelingthathemustprotecther。”Imeantherearepeopleandpeople，”headdedastutely。”Yourdadlooksawfullydecent，forinstance。””Ohyes！”saidHollyfervently；”heis。”
　　AflushmountedinVal’scheeks——thatsceneinthePandemoniumpromenade——thedarkmanwiththepinkcarnationdevelopingintohisownfather！”ButyouknowwhattheForsytesare，”hesaidalmostviciously。”Oh！Iforgot；youdon’t。””Whatarethey?””Oh！fearfullycareful；notsportsmenabit。LookatUncleSoames！””I’dliketo，”saidHolly。
　　Valresistedadesiretorunhisarmthroughhers。”Oh！no，”hesaid，”let’sgoout。You’llseehimquitesoonenough。What’syourbrotherlike?”
　　Hollyledthewayontotheterraceanddowntothelawnwithoutanswering。HowdescribeJolly，who，eversincesherememberedanything，hadbeenherlord，master，andideal?”Doeshesitonyou?”saidValshrewdly。”IshallbeknowinghimatOxford。Haveyougotanyhorses?”
　　Hollynodded。”Wouldyouliketoseethestables?””Rather！”
　　Theypassedundertheoaktree，throughathinshrubbery，intothestable-yard。Thereunderaclock-towerlayafluffybrown-and-
　　whitedog，sooldthathedidnotgetup，butfaintlywavedthetailcurledoverhisback。”That’sBalthasar，”saidHolly；”he’ssoold——awfullyold，nearlyasoldasIam。Pooroldboy！He’sdevotedtoDad。””Balthasar！That’sarumname。Heisn’tpurebredyouknow。””No！buthe’sadarling，”andshebentdowntostrokethedog。
　　Gentleandsupple，withdarkcoveredheadandslimbrownedneckandhands，sheseemedtoValstrangeandsweet，likeathingslippedbetweenhimandallpreviousknowledge。”Whengrandfatherdied，”shesaid，”hewouldn’teatfortwodays。
　　Hesawhimdie，youknow。””WasthatoldUncleJolyon?Motheralwayssayshewasatopper。””Hewas，”saidHollysimply，andopenedthestabledoor。
　　Inaloose-boxstoodasilverroanofaboutfifteenhands，withalongblacktailandmane。”ThisismineFairy。””Ah！”saidVal，”she’sajollypalfrey。Butyououghttobanghertail。She’dlookmuchsmarter。”Thencatchingherwonderinglook，hethoughtsuddenly：’Idon’tknow——anythingshelikes！’Andhetookalongsniffofthestableair。”Horsesareripping，aren’tthey?MyDad……”hestopped。”Yes?”saidHolly。
　　Animpulsetounbosomhimselfalmostovercamehim——butnotquite。”Oh！Idon’tknowhe’softengoneamuckeroverthem。I’mjollykeenonthemtoo——ridingandhunting。Ilikeracingawfully，aswell；Ishouldliketobeagentlemanrider。”Andobliviousofthefactthathehadbutonemoredayintown，withtwoengagements，heplumpedout：”Isay，ifIhireageeto-morrow，willyoucomearideinRichmondPark?”
　　Hollyclaspedherhands。”Ohyes！Isimplyloveriding。Butthere’sJolly’shorse；whydon’tyouridehim?Hereheis。Wecouldgoaftertea。”
　　Vallookeddoubtfullyathistrouseredlegs。
　　HehadimaginedthemimmaculatebeforehereyesinhighbrownbootsandBedfordcords。”Idon’tmuchlikeridinghishorse，”hesaid。”Hemightn’tlikeit。Besides，UncleSoameswantstogetback，Iexpect。NotthatI
　　believeinbucklingundertohim，youknow。Youhaven’tgotanuncle，haveyou?Thisisratheragoodbeast，”headded，scrutinisingJolly’shorse，adarkbrown，whichwasshowingthewhitesofitseyes。”Youhaven’tgotanyhuntinghere，Isuppose?”