"Where do you go for your mushrooms?" he was saying to Irene in a voice
like a courtier's; "you ought to go to Smileybob's--he'll give 'em you
fresh. These little men, they won't take the trouble!"
Irene turned to answer him, and Soames saw Bosinney watching her and
smiling to himself. A curious smile the fellow had. A half-simple
arrangement, like a child who smiles when he is pleased. As for George's
nickname--'The Buccaneer'--he did not think much of that. And, seeing
Bosinney turn to June, Soames smiled too, but sardonically--he did not
like June, who was not looking too pleased.
This was not surprising, for she had just held the following
conversation with James:
"I stayed on the river on my way home, Uncle James, and saw a beautiful
site for a house."
James, a slow and thorough eater, stopped the process of mastication.
"Eh?" he said. "Now, where was that?"
"Close to Pangbourne."
James placed a piece of ham in his mouth, and June waited.
"I suppose you wouldn't know whether the land about there was freehold?"
he asked at last. "You wouldn't know anything about the price of land
about there?"
"Yes," said June; "I made inquiries." Her little resolute face under its
copper crown was suspiciously eager and aglow.
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