He had the carriage closed now; he had no heart to look on gaiety; nor
was it right that Forsytes should be seen driving with an Inspector of
Police.
In that carriage the Inspector spoke again of the death:
"It was not so very thick--Just there. The driver says the gentleman
must have had time to see what he was about, he seemed to walk right
into it. It appears that he was very hard up, we found several pawn
tickets at his rooms, his account at the bank is overdrawn, and there's
this case in to-day's papers;" his cold blue eyes travelled from one to
another of the three Forsytes in the carriage.
Old Jolyon watching from his corner saw his brother's face change, and
the brooding, worried, look deepen on it. At the Inspector's words,
indeed, all James' doubts and fears revived. Hard-up--pawn-tickets--an
overdrawn account! These words that had all his life been a far-off
nightmare to him, seemed to make uncannily real that suspicion of
suicide which must on no account be entertained. He sought his son's
eye; but lynx-eyed, taciturn, immovable, Soames gave no answering
look. And to old Jolyon watching, divining the league of mutual defence
between them, there came an overmastering desire to have his own son at
his side, as though this visit to the dead man's body was a battle in
which otherwise he must single-handed meet those two.
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