第28章

Herosefromthescooped-outredvelvetseatwithafeelingofconstrictionabouthisvitals。Hewouldneversleepwiththisgoingoninhim！And，takingcoatandhatagain，hewentout，movingeastward。InTrafalgarSquarehebecameawareofsomespecialcommotiontravellingtowardshimoutofthemouthoftheStrand。Itmaterialisedinnewspapermencallingoutsoloudlythatnowordswhatevercouldbeheard。Hestoppedtolisten，andonecameby。”Payper！Special！UltimatiumbyKrooger！Declarationofwar！”

Soamesboughtthepaper。Thereitwasinthestoppress……！Hisfirstthoughtwas：’TheBoersarecommittingsuicide。’Hissecond：

’IsthereanythingstillIoughttosell?’Ifsohehadmissedthechance——therewouldcertainlybeaslumpinthecityto-morrow。Heswallowedthisthoughtwithanodofdefiance。Thatultimatumwasinsolent——soonerthanletitpasshewaspreparedtolosemoney。

Theywantedalesson，andtheywouldgetit；butitwouldtakethreemonthsatleasttobringthemtoheel。Thereweren’tthetroopsoutthere；alwaysbehindtime，theGovernment！Confoundthosenewspaperrats！Whatwastheuseofwakingeverybodyup?

Breakfastto-morrowwasquitesoonenough。Andhethoughtwithalarmofhisfather。TheywouldcryitdownParkLane。Hailingahansom，hegotinandtoldthemantodrivethere。

JamesandEmilyhadjustgoneuptobed，andaftercommunicatingthenewstoWarmson，Soamespreparedtofollow。Hepausedbyafter-thoughttosay：”Whatdoyouthinkofit，Warmson?”

ThebutlerceasedpassingahatbrushoverthesilkhatSoameshadtakenoff，and，inclininghisfacealittleforward，saidinalowvoice：”Well，sir，they’aven’tachance，ofcourse；butI’mtoldthey’reverygoodshots。I’vegotasonintheInniskillings。””You，Warmson?Why，Ididn’tknowyouweremarried。””No，sir。Idon’ttalkofit。Iexpecthe’llbegoingout。”

TheslightershockSoameshadfeltondiscoveringthatheknewsolittleofonewhomhethoughtheknewsowellwaslostintheslightshockofdiscoveringthatthewarmighttouchonepersonally。BornintheyearoftheCrimeanWar，hehadonlycometoconsciousnessbythetimetheIndianMutinywasover；sincethenthemanylittlewarsoftheBritishEmpirehadbeenentirelyprofessional，quiteunconnectedwiththeForsytesandalltheystoodforinthebodypolitic。Thiswarwouldsurelybenoexception。Buthismindranhastilyoverhisfamily。TwooftheHaymans，hehadheard，wereinsomeYeomanryorother——ithadalwaysbeenapleasantthought，therewasacertaindistinctionabouttheYeomanry；theywore，orusedtowear，ablueuniformwithsilveraboutit，androdehorses。AndArchibald，heremembered，hadonceonatimejoinedtheMilitia，buthadgivenitupbecausehisfather，Nicholas，hadmadesuchafussabouthis’wastinghistimepeacockingaboutinauniform。’RecentlyhehadheardsomewherethatyoungNicholas’eldest，veryyoungNicholas，hadbecomeaVolunteer。’No，’thoughtSoames，mountingthestairsslowly，’there’snothinginthat！’

Hestoodonthelandingoutsidehisparents’bedanddressingrooms，debatingwhetherornottoputhisnoseinandsayareassuringword。Openingthelandingwindow，helistened。TherumblefromPiccadillywasallthesoundheheard，andwiththethought，’Ifthesemotor-carsincrease，it’llaffecthouseproper

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