The second reason was altogether more expansive and imperial. Besides

the house on Campden Hill, Susan had a place (left her by Hayman when he

died) just over the border in Hants, where the Hayman boys had learned

to be such good shots and riders, as it was believed, which was of

course nice for them, and creditable to everybody; and the fact of

owning something really countrified seemed somehow to excuse the

dispersion of her remains--though what could have put cremation into

her head they could not think! The usual invitations, however, had been

issued, and Soames had gone down and young Nicholas, and the Will had

been quite satisfactory so far as it went, for she had only had a life

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interest; and everything had gone quite smoothly to the children in

equal shares.

The third reason why Susan's burial made little stir was the most

expansive of all. It was summed up daringly by Euphemia, the pale, the

thin: "Well, I think people have a right to their own bodies, even when

they're dead." Coming from a daughter of Nicholas, a Liberal of the

old school and most tyrannical, it was a startling remark--showing in a

flash what a lot of water had run under bridges since the death of Aunt

Ann in '86, just when the proprietorship of Soames over his wife's body

was acquiring the uncertainty which had led to such disaster. Euphemia,

of course, spoke like a child, and had no experience; for though

well over thirty by now, her name was still Forsyte. But, making all

allowances, her remark did undoubtedly show expansion of the principle

of liberty, decentralisation and shift in the central point of

possession from others to oneself. When Nicholas heard his daughter's

remark from Aunt Hester he had rapped out: "Wives and daughters! There's

no end to their liberty in these days. I knew that 'Jackson' case would

lead to things--lugging in Habeas Corpus like that!" He had, of course,

never really forgiven the Married Woman's Property Act, which would so

have interfered with him if he had not mercifully married before it was

passed. But, in truth, there was no denying the revolt among the younger

Forsytes against being owned by others; that, as it were, Colonial

disposition to own oneself, which is the paradoxical forerunner of

Imperialism, was making progress all the time. They were all now

married, except George, confirmed to the Turf and the Iseeum Club;

Francie, pursuing her musical career in a studio off the King's Road,

Chelsea, and still taking 'lovers' to dances; Euphemia, living at home

and complaining of Nicholas; and those two Dromios, Giles and Jesse

Hayman. Of the third generation there were not very many--young Jolyon

had three, Winifred Dartie four, young Nicholas six already, young Roger

had one, Marian Tweetyman one; St. John Hayman two. But the rest of the

sixteen married--Soames, Rachel and Cicely of James' family; Eustace and

Thomas of Roger's; Ernest, Archibald and Florence of Nicholas';

Augustus and Annabel Spender of the Hayman's--were going down the years

unreproduced.




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