Out of his estate (L145,304 gross, with liabilities L35 7s.

4d.) he had actually left L15,000 to "whomever do you think, my dear?
To Irene!" that runaway wife of his nephew Soames; Irene, a woman who had almost disgraced the family, and--still more amazing was to him no blood relation.

Not out and out, of course; only a life interest--only the income from it! Still, there it was; and old Jolyon's claim to be the perfect Forsyte was ended once for all.

That, then, was the first reason why the burial of Susan Hayman--at Woking--made little stir.
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 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.