She has very little of her own and there will be no more coming to her.
My mother's income is an allowance which I pay under my father's will.
I shan't be able to give her anything.
I am trying to raise everything I can for an expedition to one of the oases in the Lybian desert.
This chap Beaver has got practically nothing and doesn't look like earning any.
So you see — ”
“But, my dear Reggie, you know as well as I do that it's out of the question.”
“It's rather less than a third of your income.”
“Yes but almost every penny goes on the estate.
Do you realize that Brenda and I together haven't spent half the amount a year on our personal expenses.
It's all I can do to keep things going as it is.”
“I didn't expect you'd take this line, Tony.
I think its extremely unreasonable of you.
After all it's absurd to pretend in these days that a single man can't be perfectly comfortable on four thousand a year.
It's more than I've ever had.”
“It would mean giving up Hetton.”
“Well I gave up Brakeleigh, and I assure you, my dear fellow, I never regret it.
It was a nasty wrench at the time of course, old association and everything like that, but I can tell you this, that when the sale was finally through I felt a different man, free to go where I liked …”
“But I don't happen to want to go anywhere else except Hetton.”
“There's a lot in what these labour fellows say, you know.
Big houses are a thing of the past in England I'm afraid.”
“Tell me, did Brenda realize when she agreed to this proposal that it meant my leaving Hetton.”
“Yes, it was mentioned I think.
I daresay you'll find it quite easy to sell to a school or something like that.
I remember the agent said when I was trying to get rid of Brakeleigh that it was a pity it wasn't Gothic because schools and convents always go for Gothic.
I daresay you'll get a very comfortable price and find yourself better off in the end than you are now.”
“No. It's impossible,” said Tony.
“You're making things extremely awkward for everyone,” said Reggie.
“I can't understand why you are taking up this attitude.”
“What is more I don't believe that Brenda ever expected or wanted me to agree.”
“Oh yes, she did, my dear fellow.
I assure you of that.”
“It's inconceivable.”
“Well, said Reggie, puffing at his cigar. “There's more to it than just money.
Perhaps I'd better tell you everything. I hadn't meant to.
The truth is that Beaver is cutting up nasty.
He says he can't marry Brenda unless she's properly provided for.
Not fair on her, he says.
I quite see his point on a way.”
“Yes, I see his point,” said Tony.
“So what your proposal really amounts to is that I should give up Hetton in order to buy Beaver for Brenda.”
“It's not how I should have put it,” said Reggie.
“Well I'm not going to and that's the end of it.
If that's all you wanted to say, I may as well leave you.”
“No, it isn't quite all I wanted to say.
In fact I think I must have put things rather badly.
It comes from trying to respect people's feelings too much.
You see I wasn't so much asking you to agree to anything as explaining what our side propose to do.
I've tried to keep everything on a friendly basis but I see it's not possible.
Brenda will ask for alimony of two thousand a year from the Court and on our evidence we shall get it.