A family scandal

Synopsis

Soames takes Frances home from Winifred's wedding. He runs into Young Jo at home and warns him to behave himself. Jo takes the opportunity to confess all to Frances. She is unsympathetic. Jo leaves to go tell his father. Frances leaves to go hurl insults at Helene. Jo tells his father he'll be living on his own from now on-- he'll be an insurance underwriter at Lloyd's.

Old Jolyon visits James to change his will. At the start of the visit he makes some snide comment about James retiring. Soames reacts immediately with a defense of his father. Jolyon snaps a rebuke, but then tells Soames he's right to defend his father. Soames sulks anyway. Jolyon then reads his will and changes it. "Cut right out," says Soames to James afterward, as if relishing the gossip. He has received another letter from the widowed Mrs Heron, he tells his father: she has news that will affect the trust. Soames can guess what that news is, and he's not particularly impressed.

Soames goes down to Southhampton to see Mrs Heron again. "You don't grow," he says to the maid, as he once again hangs up his own hat. A piano can be heard. Soames walks through the door and sees-- Irene. He watches her. She eventually realizes he's there and stops playing. He pretends interest in music to get her to play some more. They then make conversation. Irene, a naive girl, tells Soames about her music career and how it's not likely to go far. They discuss ambition, and her music teacher's conviction that inside her is perhaps a spark that can be encourages. "Boom!" she says. "A volcano!" The camera moves to Soames, the volcano, who has crept up close to her. He hastily steps back to a more polite distance. He determines that she's not entirely happy about the life before her. He then asks if he might call on her when she returns from Paris, and take her to concerts. She agrees.

The scene ends with Soames hungrily following Irene out of the room.

Winifred and Dartie have some news for her parents: she's expecting. They discuss how to break the news. They seem the picture of domestic contentment. Winifred reads something shocking, however, that has fallen out of Monty's coat pocket.

Jolyon returns home in a cab, hoping to beat his family home from the wedding. He muses about his mistress.	Soames has escorted Frances and June home early, however.	Soames delivers a snarling warning to Jo about behavior-- not the last time he'll do so.	George has remained behind at the James's, drunk. He amuses Emily.
Jo talks to his father about doing the honorable thing and marrying his mistress. They differ about honor.	Frances visits Helene, and is very nasty.	"Don't sulk, boy." Advice Soames won't take until he's much older.	"Cut right out? I thought he might. And there'll be more trouble to come," says Soames.
Soames has another letter from Mrs Heron, inviting him down to hear some very-guessable news.	Soames goes, and walks into the drawing room to meet his destiny.	His destiny: Irene. She sees him.	Soames watches her play piano, and is moved.
Irene tells Soames all about herself. "That's not my line of country. But I take your point," he says in response to a quiz about ambition.	"Boom! A volcano!" says Irene. She's speaking of a volcano inside herself, but the volcano is standing next to her.	Irene might teach piano if she can't be a concert pianist.	"Might I call on you?"
George amuses Aunt Ann.	Winifred discovers that Monty hasn't paid for the pearls.