Interested as they could not but be, neither Mrs. Septimus Small nor
Aunt Hester could entirely acquiesce in being thus put off.
It was interesting--most interesting--and then Soames was so clever
that they were sure he would do something with those pictures if anybody
could; but what was his plan now that he had won his case; was he going
to leave London at once, and live in the country, or what was he going
to do?
Soames answered that he did not know, he thought they should be moving
soon. He rose and kissed his aunts.
No sooner had Aunt Juley received this emblem of departure than a change
came over her, as though she were being visited by dreadful courage;
every little roll of flesh on her face seemed trying to escape from an
invisible, confining mask.
She rose to the full extent of her more than medium height, and said:
"It has been on my mind a long time, dear, and if nobody else will tell
you, I have made up my mind that...."
Aunt Hester interrupted her: "Mind, Julia, you do it...." she
gasped--"on your own responsibility!"
Mrs. Small went on as though she had not heard: "I think you ought to
know, dear, that Mrs. MacAnder saw Irene walking in Richmond Park with
Mr. Bosinney."
Aunt Hester, who had also risen, sank back in her chair, and turned
her face away. Really Juley was too--she should not do such things when
she--Aunt Hester, was in the room; and, breathless with anticipation,
she waited for what Soames would answer.
He had flushed the peculiar flush which always centred between his eyes;
lifting his hand, and, as it were, selecting a finger, he bit a nail
delicately; then, drawling it out between set lips, he said: "Mrs.
MacAnder is a cat!"
Without waiting for any reply, he left the room.
When he went into Timothy's he had made up his mind what course to
pursue on getting home. He would go up to Irene and say:
"Well, I've won my case, and there's an end of it! I don't want to be
hard on Bosinney; I'll see if we can't come to some arrangement; he
shan't be pressed. And now let's turn over a new leaf! We'll let the
house, and get out of these fogs. We'll go down to Robin Hill at once.
I--I never meant to be rough with you! Let's shake hands--and--" Perhaps
she would let him kiss her, and forget!
When he came out of Timothy's his intentions were no longer so simple.
The smouldering jealousy and suspicion of months blazed up within him.
He would put an end to that sort of thing once and for all; he would not
have her drag his name in the dirt! If she could not or would not love
him, as was her duty and his right--she should not play him tricks with
anyone else! He would tax her with it; threaten to divorce her! That
would make her behave; she would never face that. But--but--what if she
did? He was staggered; this had not occurred to him.