Fancy, Soames, she thinks the Boers are not to blame." "They only want their independence," said June; "and why shouldn't they have it ?" "Because," answered Soames, with his smile a little on one side, "they happen to have agreed to our suzerainty." "Suzerainty!" repeated June scornfully; "we shouldn't like anyone's suzerainty over us." "They got advantages in payment," replied Soames; "a contract is a contract." "Contracts are not always just," fumed out June, "and when they're not, they ought to be broken.

The Boers are much the weaker.

We could afford to be generous." Soames sniffed.

"That's mere sentiment," he said.
Aunt Hester, to whom nothing was more awful than any kind of disagreement, here leaned forward and remarked decisively: "What lovely weather it has been for the time of year ?" But June was not to be diverted.
"I don't know why sentiment should be sneered at.

It's the best thing in the world." She looked defiantly round, and Aunt Juley had to intervene again: "Have you bought any pictures lately, Soames ?" Her incomparable instinct for the wrong subject had not failed her.
Soames flushed.