.

"Where do you go for your mushrooms?" he was saying to Irene in a voice
like a courtier's; "you ought to go to Smileybob's--he'll give 'em you
fresh. These little men, they won't take the trouble!"

Irene turned to answer him, and Soames saw Bosinney watching her and
smiling to himself. A curious smile the fellow had. A half-simple
arrangement, like a child who smiles when he is pleased. As for George's
nickname--'The Buccaneer'--he did not think much of that. And, seeing
Bosinney turn to June, Soames smiled too, but sardonically--he did not
like June, who was not looking too pleased.

This was not surprising, for she had just held the following conversation
with James:

"I stayed on the river on my way home, Uncle James, and saw a beautiful
site for a house."

James, a slow and thorough eater, stopped the process of mastication.

"Eh?" he said. "Now, where was that?"

"Close to Pangbourne."

James placed a piece of ham in his mouth, and June waited.

"I suppose you wouldn't know whether the land about there was freehold?"
he asked at last. "You wouldn't know anything about the price of land
about there?"

"Yes," said June; "I made inquiries." Her little resolute face under its
copper crown was suspiciously eager and aglow.

James regarded her with the air of an inquisitor.

"What? You're not thinking of buying land!" he ejaculated, dropping his
fork.

June was greatly encouraged by his interest. It had long been her pet
plan that her uncles should benefit themselves and Bosinney by building
country-houses.

"Of course not," she said. "I thought it would be such a splendid place
for--you or--someone to build a country-house!"

James looked at her sideways, and placed a second piece of ham in his
mouth....

"Land ought to be very dear about there," he said.

What June had taken for personal interest was only the impersonal
excitement of every Forsyte who hears of something eligible in danger of
passing into other hands. But she refused to see the disappearance of
her chance, and continued to press her point.

"You ought to go into the country, Uncle James. I wish I had a lot of
money, I wouldn't live another day in London."

James was stirred to the depths of his long thin figure; he had no idea
his niece held such downright views.

"Why don't you go into the country?" repeated June; "it would do you a
lot of good."

"Why?" began James in a fluster. "Buying land--what good d'yo