This was the case for the defence, and young Jolyon sighed.
'The core of it all,' he thought, 'is property, but there are many
people who would not like it put that way. To them it is "the sanctity
of the marriage tie"; but the sanctity of the marriage tie is dependent
on the sanctity of the family, and the sanctity of the family is
dependent on the sanctity of property. And yet I imagine all these
people are followers of One who never owned anything. It is curious!
And again young Jolyon sighed.
'Am I going on my way home to ask any poor devils I meet to share my
dinner, which will then be too little for myself, or, at all events,
for my wife, who is necessary to my health and happiness? It may be that
after all Soames does well to exercise his rights and support by his
practice the sacred principle of property which benefits us all, with
the exception of those who suffer by the process.'
And so he left his chair, threaded his way through the maze of seats,
took his hat, and languidly up the hot streets crowded with carriages,
reeking with dusty odours, wended his way home.
Before reaching Wistaria Avenue he removed old Jolyon's letter from his
pocket, and tearing it carefully into tiny pieces, scattered them in the
dust of the road.
He let himself in with his key, and called his wife's name. But she had
gone out, taking Jolly and Holly, and the house was empty; alone in the
garden the dog Balthasar lay in the shade snapping at flies.
Young Jolyon took his seat there, too, under the pear-tree that bore no
fruit.