Serve him right for sticking at the price; the only thing the fellow thought of was money. Had he given too much, though?It wanted a lot of doing to — He dared say he would want all his money before he had done with this affair of June’s. Heought never to have allowed the engagement. She had met this Bosinney at the house of Baynes, Baynes and Bildeboy, thearchitects. He believed that Baynes, whom he knew — a bit of an old woman — was the young man’s uncle by marriage. Afterthat she’d been always running after him; and when she took a thing into her head there was no stopping her. She wascontinually taking up with ‘lame ducks’ of one sort or another. This fellow had no money, but she must needs become engagedto him — a harumscarum, unpractical chap, who would get himself into no end of difficulties.

She had come to him one day in her slap-dash way and told him; and, as if it were any consolation, she had added:

“He’s so splendid; he’s often lived on cocoa for a week!”

“And he wants you to live on cocoa too?”

“Oh no; he is getting into the swim now.”

Old Jolyon had taken his cigar from under his white moustaches, stained by coffee at the edge, and looked at her, thatlittle slip of a thing who had got such a grip of his heart. He knew more about ‘swims’ than his granddaughter. But she,having clasped her hands on his knees, rubbed her chin against him, making a sound like a purring cat. And, knocking the ashoff his cigar, he had exploded in nervous desperation:

“You’re all alike: you won’t be satisfied till you’ve got what you want. If you must come to grief, you must; I wash myhands of it.”

So, he had washed his hands of it, making the condition that they should not marry until Bosinney had at least fourhundred a year.

“I shan’t be able to give you very much,” he had said, a formula to which June was not unaccustomed. “Perhaps thisWhat’s-his-name will provide the cocoa.”