"
Old Jolyon made a movement of relief. She had risen and looked down at
him; so slight, and light, and young, but so fixed, and so determined;
and disturbed, vexed, as he was, he could not frown away that fixed
look. The feeling of being beaten, of the reins having slipped, of being
old and tired, mastered him.
"Ah!" he said at last, "you'll get yourself into a mess one of these
days, I can see. You want your own way in everything."
Visited by one of his strange bursts of philosophy, he added: "Like that
you were born; and like that you'll stay until you die!"
And he, who in his dealings with men of business, with Boards, with
Forsytes of all descriptions, with such as were not Forsytes, had always
had his own way, looked at his indomitable grandchild sadly--for he felt
in her that quality which above all others he unconsciously admired.
"Do you know what they say is going on?" he said slowly.
June crimsoned.
"Yes--no! I know--and I don't know--I don't care!" and she stamped her
foot.
"I believe," said old Jolyon, dropping his eyes, "that you'd have him if
he were dead!"
There was a long silence before he spoke again.
"But as to buying this house--you don't know what you're talking about!"
June said that she did.
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