MASON. Dear, dear! (She goes on arranging the flowers.) He's not in prison now? GERALD. No; he's on bail for the moment. Perhaps he'll be round here for lunch. But I'm afraid that to-night-- MASON. Even as a baby he was never quite like you, Master Gerald. Never was there such a little lamb as you. How long will they send him to prison for? GERALD. We don't know yet; I expect we shall know this evening. But there's no doubt which way the case is going. MASON. Two of the men were making their bets about it over the supper-table last night. I didn't wait long before giving them a piece of my mind, I can promise you. GERALD (turning round sharply). Who were they? Out they go to-morrow. MASON. That wouldn't be quite fair, would it, sir? They're young and thoughtless like. GERALD (to himself rather than to her). After all, it's only what everybody else has been doing. MASON. It wouldn't be anything very bad that Master Bob has done? GERALD (emphatically). No, Nanny. No. Nothing bad; only--stupid. MASON. I didn't know they put you in prison for being stupid. Some of us have been lucky. GERALD. They can put you in prison for everything Nanny--being stupid or being wise, being bad or being good, being poor or--yes, or being rich. MASON (putting her last touches to the flowers). There! Now it looks much more like what her ladyship's used to. If you aren't sent to prison for being bad, it doesn't seem to matter so much. GERALD. Well--it isn't nice, you know. MASON. There's lots of things that aren't nice in the world. They haven't come _your_ way yet, and I only hope they never will. GERALD. I wish they hadn't come Bob's way. MASON. Ah, Master Bob was born to meet them. Well, I'll go up to her ladyship now. GERALD. Oh, are they back? MASON. Sir James and her ladyship came back from the police-station-- GERALD. The Old Bailey, Nanny. MASON. They came back about ten minutes ago, Master Gerald. And went up to their rooms. GERALD. Tell mother I'm here, will you? MASON. Yes, Sir. (She goes out and comes back almost at once with PAMELA.) MASON. Here's Miss Pamela. (To PAMELA) I was just saying that her ladyship will be down directly. GERALD (smiling). Not too directly now, Nanny. MASON. No, Master Gerald. [Exit.] GERALD. Pamela! Have you just come up? PAMELA. Mother and I are staying with Aunt Judith. Oh, Gerald! Poor, poor Bob! GERALD. Have you seen him? PAMELA. He came down to us last week, and he has been writing the most heart-rending letters. GERALD. You're a dear to be so good to him. PAMELA. How can one help it? Oh, Gerald, he _has_ been stupid! How he could have gone on as he did, hating it all, understanding nothing, but feeling all the time that things were wrong, and yet too proud or too obstinate to ask for help--hadn't you any idea, _any_ of you? GERALD (awkwardly). You never could get him to talk about the City at all. If you asked him, he changed the subject.