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shoulders, then drop forward again before proceeding 'if it wasn't that you are so much better' he stressed the 'are' - " I wouldn't, not for the world, say what I'm going to say now, and as time's short and they'll all be yelling for you in a minute, I'll come straight to the point. You know
    . or of course you don't know that Livsey is selling out, and he's willing to let his holding go as a sacrifice. Now' he held his hand up as if he were directing traffic at the stop sign "I know that that word is suspect but nobody's going to put one over on me, not in my own line of business, so you can take my word for it that it just means what it says. Well, Mother, you know how I stand. I haven't got seven thousand pounds. I wish I had, and this is what I want to ask you.... Mind, I'm not asking for a loan ... Again his hand was at the stop sign.
    "I'm asking you to do a business deal. And this is it: will you buy Livsey out? You'll have profits, part control, the lot ... Now it's like this ... " Sit down, Gerald. " Grace's quiet tone checked him and she pointed to a chair. Then she drew the dressing-table stool near to her, and when she was sitting opposite him he put in hastily but in a less strident tone, " Well, just hear me out. Mother, before you say anything. "
    "It's no use, Gerald."
    He made no reply to this but he smiled at her and nodded. He was used to this kind of beginning; he was also used to pressing home the point.
    One acquired the technique in the car business.
    "All right, all right. Now just listen, just for a minute...."
    Grace looked downwards to where her hands were joined tightly together and she bit on her lip before saying in a voice that was no longer quiet, "It's no use, Gerald, you're only making it worse for yourself.
    I mean what I say, I can't help you' she raised her eyes and looked straight into his round and to her unpleasant face as she ended 'for the simple reason that I haven't any money. "
    "What!"
    His disbelief was scornful and it brought her head up and gave an edge to her voice.
    "You can say " What! " in that manner, but I'm telling you the truth.
    I haven't any money, at least not your kind of money. It will come as news to you, I know, but I haven't had ... what you call money for some rime now."
    "What about the business?"
    "It's mine in name only."
    "You were bought out?"
    "No, I wasn't bought out in the way you mean. To put it briefly, Uncle Ralph speculated some years ago. As you know, he owned half of everything; something went wrong ... many things went wrong and he was facing bankruptcy. The firm was taken over but still run under our name. I was left with enough to put Stephen through college and see Jane settled."
    "But this place?" Gerald spread his arms wide, embracing the house.
    "You can't run this on tuppence a week." He refrained from adding,
    "Cooks, gardeners, the lot."
    His tone jarred on her and she wanted to cry, "What business is it of yours?" but she knew his hopes had been dealt a very hard blow, so she replied quietly, "It doesn't cost so much to run as you might think, and in a very short rime the house and everything in it will be sold."
    "Good God!" He was on his feet.
    "And the others know nothing about it?"
    "No, they know nothing about it. It won't concern them very much, anyhow. Stephen will have no use for a house like this, his home will be in a vicarage in some part of the country. And Beatrice is in your hands ... Grace paused here before adding, " And Jane's future will be settled over the holidays at least I hope so. "
    "God Almighty!" Gerald was being entirely himself now.
    "And you think they're not going to mind?"
    "Oh yes, I know they'll mind and be disappointed."
    "Disappointed. Huh ... I Well ... He looked down at her.
    "We ll' the word was drawn out this rime 'all I can say is that it's a damn fine kettle of fish."
    "I'm sorry you should feel so bitter about it, but after all, Gerald, it may surprise you to learn that I have dealt with you