"Good-bye," she answered softly.
Jolyon climbed back into his cab, wondering why he had not asked her
to dine and go to the theatre with him. Solitary, starved, hung-up life
that she had! "Hotch Potch Club," he said through the trap-door. As his
hansom debouched on to the Embankment, a man in top-hat and overcoat
passed, walking quickly, so close to the wall that he seemed to be
scraping it.
'By Jove!' thought Jolyon; 'Soames himself! What's he up to now?' And,
stopping the cab round the corner, he got out and retraced his steps to
where he could see the entrance to the mansions. Soames had halted in
front of them, and was looking up at the light in her windows. 'If he
goes in,' thought Jolyon, 'what shall I do? What have I the right
to do?' What the fellow had said was true. She was still his wife,
absolutely without protection from annoyance! 'Well, if he goes in,'
he thought, 'I follow.' And he began moving towards the mansions.
Again Soames advanced; he was in the very entrance now. But suddenly he
stopped, spun round on his heel, and came back towards the river. 'What
now?' thought Jolyon. 'In a dozen steps he'll recognise me.' And he
turned tail. His cousin's footsteps kept pace with his own. But he
reached his cab, and got in before Soames had turned the corner. "Go
on!" he said through the trap. Soames' figure ranged up alongside.
"Hansom!" he said. "Engaged? Hallo!"
"Hallo!" answered Jolyon. "You?"
The quick suspicion on his cousin's face, white in the lamplight,
decided him.
"I can give you a lift," he said, "if you're going West."
"Thanks," answered Soames, and got in.
"I've been seeing Irene," said Jolyon when the cab had started.
"Indeed!"
"You went to see her yesterday yourself, I understand."
"I did," said Soames; "she's my wife, you know."
The tone, the half-lifted sneering lip, roused sudden anger in Jolyon;
but he subdued it.
"You ought to know best," he said, "but if you want a divorce it's not
very wise to go seeing her, is it? One can't run with the hare and hunt
with the hounds?"
"You're very good to warn me," said Soames, "but I have not made up my
mind."
"She has," said Jolyon, looking straight before him; "you can't take
things up, you know, as they were twelve years ago."
"That remains to be seen."
"Look here!" said Jolyon, "she's in a damnable position, and I am the
only person with any legal say in her affairs."
"Except myself," retorted Soames, "who am also in a damnable position.
Hers is what she made for herself; mine what she made for me. I am not
at all sure that in her own interests I shan't require her to return to
me."