lk of the
dressing-table coverlet.

"The name?" said Emily, "there are all the other Forsytes."

"As if that helped me," muttered James. "I shall be in my grave, and
there'll be nobody, unless he marries again."

"You're quite right," said Soames quietly; "I'm getting a divorce."

James' eyes almost started from his head.

"What?" he cried. "There! nobody tells me anything."

"Well," said Emily, "who would have imagined you wanted it? My dear boy,
that is a surprise, after all these years."

"It'll be a scandal," muttered James, as if to himself; "but I can't
help that. Don't brush so hard. When'll it come on?"

"Before the Long Vacation; it's not defended."

James' lips moved in secret calculation. "I shan't live to see my
grandson," he muttered.

Emily ceased brushing. "Of course you will, James. Soames will be as
quick as he can."

There was a long silence, till James reached out his arm.

"Here! let's have the eau-de-Cologne," and, putting it to his nose, he
moved his forehead in the direction of his son. Soames bent over and
kissed that brow just where the hair began. A relaxing quiver passed
over James' face, as though the wheels of anxiety within were running
down.

"I'll get to bed," he said; "I shan't want to see the papers when that
comes. They're a morbid lot; I can't pay attention to them, I'm too
old."

Queerly affected, Soames went to the door; he heard his father say:

"Here, I'm tired. I'll say a prayer in bed."

And his mother answering

"That's right, James; it'll be ever so much more comfy."

CHAPTER IX--OUT OF THE WEB

On Forsyte 'Change the announcement of Jolly's death, among a batch of
troopers, caused mixed sensation. Strange to read that Jolyon Forsyte
(fifth of the name in direct descent) had died of disease in the service
of his country, and not be able to feel it personally. It revived the
old grudge against his father for having estranged himself. For such
was still the prestige of old Jolyon that the other Forsytes could never
quite feel, as might have been expected, that it was they who had cut
off his descendants for irregularity. The news increased, of course, the
interest and anxiety about Val; but then Val's name was Dartie, and even
if he were killed in battle or got the Victoria Cross, it would not be
at all the same as if his name were Forsyte. Not even casualty or
glory to the Haymans would be really satisfactory. Family pride felt
defrauded.

How t