“What’s the meaning of that?” he said.

Though there was no apparent sense in his words, they all knew that he was referring to June.  His eyes searched his son’s face.

“I thought I’d come and see for myself.  What have they answered Kruger?”

Soames took out an evening paper, and read the headline.

“‘Instant action by our Government—­state of war existing!’”

“Ah!” said James, and sighed.  “I was afraid they’d cut and run like old Gladstone.  We shall finish with them this time.”

All stared at him.  James!  Always fussy, nervous, anxious!  James with his continual, ‘I told you how it would be!’ and his pessimism, and his cautious investments.  There was something uncanny about such resolution in this the oldest living Forsyte.

“Where’s Timothy?” said James.  “He ought to pay attention to this.”

Aunt Juley said she didn’t know; Timothy had not said much at lunch to-day.  Aunt Hester rose and threaded her way out of the room, and Francie said rather maliciously: 

“The Boers are a hard nut to crack, Uncle James.”

“H’m!” muttered James.  “Where do you get your information?  Nobody tells me.”

Young Nicholas remarked in his mild voice that Nick (his eldest) was now going to drill regularly.

“Ah!” muttered James, and stared before him—­his thoughts were on Val.  “He’s got to look after his mother,” he said, “he’s got no time for drilling and that, with that father of his.”  This cryptic saying produced silence, until he spoke again.

“What did June want here?” And his eyes rested with suspicion on all of them in turn.  “Her father’s a rich man now.”  The conversation turned on Jolyon, and when he had been seen last.  It was supposed that he went abroad and saw all sorts of people now that his wife was dead; his water-colours were on the line, and he was a successful man.  Francie went so far as to say: 

“I should like to see him again; he was rather a dear.”

Aunt Juley recalled how he had gone to sleep on the sofa one day, where James was sitting.  He had always been very amiable; what did Soames think?

Knowing that Jolyon was Irene’s trustee, all felt the delicacy of this question, and looked at Soames with interest.  A faint pink had come up in his cheeks.

“He’s going grey,” he said.

Indeed!  Had Soames seen him?  Soames nodded, and the pink vanished.

James said suddenly:  “Well—­I don’t know, I can’t tell.”

It so exactly expressed the sentiment of everybody present that there was something behind everything, that nobody responded.  But at this moment Aunt Hester returned.

“Timothy,” she said in a low voice, “Timothy has bought a map, and he’s put in—­he’s put in three flags.”

Timothy had ....!  A sigh went round the company.

If Timothy had indeed put in three flags already, well!—­it showed what the nation could do when it was roused.  The war was as good as over.