第24章

Soamesslowlypassedalittleinlaidpaperknifeoverthesmoothsurfaceofamarqueterietable；then，withoutlookingathisnephew，hebegan：”Youdon’tunderstandwhatyourmotherhashadtoputupwiththesetwentyyears。Thisisonlythelaststraw，Val。”AndglancingupsidewaysatWinifred，headded：”ShallItellhim?”

Winifredwassilent。Ifhewerenottold，hewouldbeagainsther！

Yet，howdreadfultobetoldsuchthingsofhisownfather！

Clenchingherlips，shenodded。

Soamesspokeinarapid，evenvoice：”Hehasalwaysbeenaburdenroundyourmother’sneck。Shehaspaidhisdebtsoverandoveragain；hehasoftenbeendrunk，abusedandthreatenedher；andnowheisgonetoBuenosAireswithadancer。”And，asifdistrustingtheefficacyofthosewordsontheboy，hewentonquickly”Hetookyourmother’spearlstogivetoher。”

Valjerkeduphishand，then。AtthatsignalofdistressWinifredcriedout：”That’lldo，Soames-stop！”

Intheboy，theDartieandtheForsytewerestruggling。Fordebts，drink，dancers，hehadacertainsympathy；butthepearls-no！Thatwastoomuch！Andsuddenlyhefoundhismother’shandsqueezinghis。”Yousee，”heheardSoamessay，”wecan’thaveitallbeginoveragain。There’salimit；wemuststrikewhiletheiron’shot。”

Valfreedhishand。”But——you’re——nevergoingtobringoutthataboutthepearls！I

couldn’tstandthat——Isimplycouldn’t！”

Winifredcriedout：”No，no，Val——ohno！That’sonlytoshowyouhowimpossibleyourfatheris！”Andhisunclenodded。Somewhatassuaged，Valtookoutacigarette。Hisfatherhadboughthimthatthincurvedcase。Oh！

itwasunbearable——justashewasgoinguptoOxford！”Can’tmotherbeprotectedwithout?”hesaid。”Icouldlookafterher。Itcouldalwaysbedonelaterifitwasreallynecessary。”

AsmileplayedforamomentroundSoames’lips，andbecamebitter。”Youdon’tknowwhatyou’retalkingof；nothing’ssofatalasdelayinsuchmatters。””Why?””Itellyou，boy，nothing’ssofatal。Iknowfromexperience。”

Hisvoicehadtheringofexasperation。Valregardedhimround-

eyed，neverhavingknownhisuncleexpressanysortoffeeling。

Oh！Yes——herememberednow——therehadbeenanAuntIrene，andsomethinghadhappened——somethingwhichpeoplekeptdark；hehadheardhisfatheronceuseanunmentionablewordofher。”Idon’twanttospeakillofyourfather，”Soameswentondoggedly，”butIknowhimwellenoughtobesu

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