On Forsyte 'Change the announcement of Jolly's death, among a batch of
troopers, caused mixed sensation. Strange to read that Jolyon Forsyte
(fifth of the name in direct descent) had died of disease in the service
of his country, and not be able to feel it personally. It revived the
old grudge against his father for having estranged himself. For such
was still the prestige of old Jolyon that the other Forsytes could never
quite feel, as might have been expected, that it was they who had cut
off his descendants for irregularity. The news increased, of course, the
interest and anxiety about Val; but then Val's name was Dartie, and even
if he were killed in battle or got the Victoria Cross, it would not be
at all the same as if his name were Forsyte. Not even casualty or
glory to the Haymans would be really satisfactory. Family pride felt
defrauded.
How the rumour arose, then, that 'something very dreadful, my dear,'
was pending, no one, least of all Soames, could tell, secret as he kept
everything. Possibly some eye had seen 'Forsyte v. Forsyte and Forsyte,'
in the cause list; and had added it to 'Irene in Paris with a fair
beard.' Possibly some wall at Park Lane had ears. The fact remained that
it was known--whispered among the old, discussed among the young--that
family pride must soon receive a blow.
Soames, paying one, of his Sunday visits to Timothy's--paying it with
the feeling that after the suit came on he would be paying no more--felt
knowledge in the air as he came in. Nobody, of course, dared speak of
it before him, but each of the four other Forsytes present held their
breath, aware that nothing could prevent Aunt Juley from making them all
uncomfortable. She looked so piteously at Soames, she checked herself on
the point of speech so often, that Aunt Hester excused herself and
said she must go and bathe Timothy's eye--he had a sty coming. Soames,
impassive, slightly supercilious, did not stay long. He went out with a
curse stifled behind his pale, just smiling lips.
Fortunately for the peace of his mind, cruelly tortured by the
coming scandal, he was kept busy day and night with plans for his
retirement--for he had come to that grim conclusion. To go on seeing
all those people who had known him as a 'long-headed chap,' an astute
adviser--after that--no! The fastidiousness and pride which was so
strangely, so inextricably blended in him with possessive obtuseness,
revolted against the thought. He would retire, live privately, go on
buying pictures, make a great name as a collector--after all, his heart
was more in that than it had ever been in Law. In pursuance of this
now fixed resolve, he had to get ready to amalgamate his business
with another firm without letting people know, for that would excite
curiosity and make humiliation cast its shadow before. He had pitched on
the firm of Cuthcott, Holliday and Kingson, two of whom were dead. The
full name after the amalgamation would therefore be Cuthcott, Holliday,
Kingson, Forsyte, Bustard and Forsyte. But after debate as to which
of the dead still had any influence with the living, it was decided to
reduce the title to Cuthcott, Kingson and Forsyte, of whom Kingson would
be the active and Soames the sleeping partner. For leaving his name,
prestige, and clients behind him, Soames would receive considerable
value.