GERALD. Oh, well, it's no good talking about it now. Poor old Bob! Wentworth thinks-- SIR JAMES. Ah, now why couldn't Wentworth have defended him? That other man--why, to begin with, I don't even call him a gentleman. GERALD. Wentworth recommended him. But I wish he had gone to Wentworth before, as soon as he knew what was coming. SIR JAMES. Why didn't he come to _me_? Why didn't he come to _any_ of us? Then we might have done something. LADY FARRINGDON. Didn't he even tell _you_, Gerald? GERALD (awkwardly). Only just at the last. It was--it was too late to do anything then. It was the Saturday before he was--arrested. (To himself) "The Saturday before Bob was arrested"--what a way to remember anything by! LADY FARRINGDON (to GERALD). Bob is coming round, dear? GERALD. Yes. Wentworth's looking after him. Pamela will be here too. SIR JAMES. We haven't seen much of Pamela lately. What does _she_ think about it? GERALD (sharply). What do you mean? SIR JAMES. The disgrace of it. I hope it's not going to affect your engagement. GERALD. Disgrace? what disgrace? SIR JAMES. Well, of course, he hasn't been found guilty yet. GERALD. What's that got to do with it? What does it matter what a lot of rotten jurymen think of him? _We_ know that he has done nothing disgraceful. LADY FARRINGDON. I'm sure Pamela wouldn't think anything like that of your brother, dear. GERALD. Of course she wouldn't. She's been a perfect angel to Bob these last few weeks. What does it matter if he does go to prison? SIR JAMES. I suppose you think I shall enjoy telling my neighbours, when they ask me what my elder boy is doing, that he's--ah--in prison. GERALD. Of course you won't enjoy it, and I don't suppose Bob will enjoy it either, but that's no reason why we should make it worse for him by pretending that he's a disgrace to the family. (Half to himself) If anything we've done has helped to send him to prison then it's we who should be ashamed. SIR JAMES. I don't profess to know anything about business, but I flatter myself that I understand my fellow men. If I had been in Bob's place, I should have pretty soon seen what that fellow Marcus was up to. I don't want to be unfair to Bob; I don't think that any son of mine would do a dishonourable action; but the Law is the Law, and if the Law sends Bob to prison I can't help feeling the disgrace of it. GERALD. Yes, it's rough on you and mother. LADY FARRINGDON. I don't mind about myself, dear. It's you I feel so sorry for--and Bob, of course. GERALD. I don't see how it's going to affect _me_. SIR JAMES. In the Foreign Office one has to be like Caesar's wife--above suspicion. GERALD. Yes, but in this case it's Caesar's brother-in-law's partner who's the wrong un. I don't suppose Caesar was so particular about _him_. LADY FARRINGDON. I don't see how Caesar comes into it at all. SIR JAMES (kindly). I spoke in metaphors, dear. [The door opens and WENTWORTH appears.] GERALD. Come in, Wentworth. Where's Bob?