whole future of this country lies in right
education.”
“I am seeing Mr. Billingsley the day after
to-morrow,” said Percival. “We’ve got to go
into various questions of finance. He was
suggesting that you might like to make this
money that’s been left to you by father into a
trust for yourself and your children. It’s a
very sound thing to do nowadays.”
“I don’t want to do that,” said Elaine. “We
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shall need the money to start up our school.
There’s a very suitable house we’ve heard of
for sale. It’s in Cornwall. Beautiful grounds
and quite a good house. It would have to be
built on to a good deal—several wings
added.”
“You mean—you mean you’re going to take
all your money out of the business? Really,
Elaine, I don’t think you’re wise.”
“Much wiser to take it out than leave it in,
I should say,” said Elaine. “Businesses are
going phut all over the place. You said
yourself, Val, before father died, that things
were getting into a pretty bad state.”
“One says that sort of thing,” said Percival
vaguely, “but I must say, Elaine, to take out
all your capital and sink it in the buying,
equipping and running of a school is crazy. If
it’s not a success look what happens? You’re
left without a penny.”
“It will be a success,” said Elaine,
doggedly.
“I’m with you.” Lance, lying sprawled out
in a chair, spoke up encouragingly. “Have a
crack at it, Elaine. In my opinion it’ll be a
damned odd sort of school, but it’s what you
want to do—you and Gerald. If you do lose
your money you’ll at any rate have had the
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satisfaction of doing what you wanted to do.”
“Just what one might have expected you to
say. Lance,” said Percival, acidly.
“I know, I know,” said Lance. “I’m the
spendthrift prodigal son. But I still think I’ve
had more fun out of life than you have, Percy,
old boy.”
“It depends on what you call fun,” said
Percival coldly. “Which brings us to your
own plans. Lance. I suppose you’ll be off
again back to Kenya—or Canada—or
climbing Mount Everest or something fairly
fantastic?”
“Now what makes you think that?” said
Lance.
“Well, you’ve never had much use for a
stay-at-home life in England, have you?”
“One changes as one gets older,” said
Lance. “One settles down. D’you know,
Percy my boy, I’m quite looking forward to
having a crack at being a sober business
man.”
“Do you mean …”
“I mean I’m coming into the firm with
you, old boy.” Lance grinned. “Oh, you’re
the senior partner, of course. You’ve got the
lion’s share. I’m only a very junior partner.
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But I have got a holding in it that gives me
the right to be in on things, doesn’t it?”
“Well—yes—of course, if you put it that
way. But I can assure you, my dear boy,
you’ll be very, very bored.”
“I wonder now. I don’t believe I shall be
bored.”
Percival frowned.
“You don’t seriously mean. Lance, that
you’re coming into the business?”
“Having a finger in the pie? Yes, that’s
exactly what I am doing.”
Percival shook his head.
“Things are in a very bad way, you know.
You’ll find that out. It’s going to be about all
we can do to pay out Elaine her share, if she
insists on having it paid out.”
“There you are, Elaine,” said Lance. “You
see how wise you were to insist on grabbing
your money while it’s still there to grab.”
“Really, Lance,” Percival spoke angrily,
“these jokes of yours are in very bad taste.”
“I do think. Lance, you might be more
careful what you say,” said Jennifer.
Sitting a little way away near the window,
Pat studied them one by one. If this was what
Lance had meant by twisting Percival’s tail,
she could see that he was achieving his object.
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Percival’s neat impassivity was quite ruffled.
He snapped again, angrily:
“Are you serious. Lance?”
“Dead serious.”
“It won’t work, you know. You’ll soon get
fed up.”
“Not me. Think what a lovely change it’ll
be for me. A city office, typists coming and