"Well, I'll think of it, but not just now. You remember Irene? I want
you to come with me and see her. Soames is after her again. She might be
safer if we could give her asylum somewhere."
The word asylum, which he had used by chance, was of all most calculated
to rouse June's interest.
"Irene! I haven't seen her since! Of course! I'd love to help her."
It was Jolyon's turn to squeeze her arm, in warm admiration for this
spirited, generous-hearted little creature of his begetting.
"Irene is proud," he said, with a sidelong glance, in sudden doubt of
June's discretion; "she's difficult to help. We must tread gently. This
is the place. I wired her to expect us. Let's send up our cards."
"I can't bear Soames," said June as she got out; "he sneers at
everything that isn't successful."
Irene was in what was called the 'Ladies' drawing-room' of the Piedmont
Hotel.
Nothing if not morally courageous, June walked straight up to her former
friend, kissed her cheek, and the two settled down on a sofa never sat
on since the hotel's foundation. Jolyon could see that Irene was deeply
affected by this simple forgiveness.
"So Soames has been worrying you?" he said.
"I had a visit from him last night; he wants me to go back to him."
"You're not going, of course?" cried June.
Irene smiled faintly and shook her head. "But his position is horrible,"
she murmured.
"It's his own fault; he ought to have divorced you when he could."
Jolyon remembered how fervently in the old days June had hoped that no
divorce would smirch her dead and faithless lover's name.
"Let us hear what Irene is going to do," he said.
Irene's lips quivered, but she spoke calmly.
"I'd better give him fresh excuse to get rid of me."
"How horrible!" cried June.
"What else can I do?"
"Out of the question," said Jolyon very quietly, "sans amour."
He thought she was going to cry; but, getting up quickly, she half
turned her back on them, and stood regaining control of herself.
June said suddenly:
"Well, I shall go to Soames and tell him he must leave you alone. What
does he want at his age?"
"A child. It's not unnatural"
"A child!" cried June scornfully. "Of course! To leave his money to. If
he wants one badly enough let him take somebody and have one; then you
can divorce him, and he can marry her."
Jolyon perceived suddenly that he had made a mistake to bring June--her
violent partizanship was fighting Soames' battle.
"It would be best for Irene to come quietly to us at Robin Hill, and see
how things shape."