ELLIE. He always used to say he could succeed if he only had some capital. He fought his way along, to keep a roof over our heads and bring us up well; but it was always a struggle: always the same difficulty of not having capital enough. I don't know how to describe it to you. MRS HUSHABYE. Poor Ellie! I know. Pulling the devil by the tail. ELLIE [hurt]. Oh, no. Not like that. It was at least dignified. MRS HUSHABYE. That made it all the harder, didn't it? I shouldn't have pulled the devil by the tail with dignity. I should have pulled hard--[between her teeth] hard. Well? Go on. ELLIE. At last it seemed that all our troubles were at an end. Mr Mangan did an extraordinarily noble thing out of pure friendship for my father and respect for his character. He asked him how much capital he wanted, and gave it to him. I don't mean that he lent it to him, or that he invested it in his business. He just simply made him a present of it. Wasn't that splendid of him? MRS HUSHABYE. On condition that you married him? ELLIE. Oh, no, no, no! This was when I was a child. He had never even seen me: he never came to our house. It was absolutely disinterested. Pure generosity. MRS HUSHABYE. Oh! I beg the gentleman's pardon. Well, what became of the money? ELLIE. We all got new clothes and moved into another house. And I went to another school for two years. MRS HUSHABYE. Only two years? ELLIE. That was all: for at the end of two years my father was utterly ruined. MRS HUSHABYE. How? ELLIE. I don't know. I never could understand. But it was dreadful. When we were poor my father had never been in debt. But when he launched out into business on a large scale, he had to incur liabilities. When the business went into liquidation he owed more money than Mr Mangan had given him. MRS HUSHABYE. Bit off more than he could chew, I suppose. ELLIE. I think you are a little unfeeling about it. MRS HUSHABYE. My pettikins, you mustn't mind my way of talking. I was quite as sensitive and particular as you once; but I have picked up so much slang from the children that I am really hardly presentable. I suppose your father had no head for business, and made a mess of it. ELLIE. Oh, that just shows how entirely you are mistaken about him. The business turned out a great success. It now pays forty-four per cent after deducting the excess profits tax. MRS HUSHABYE. Then why aren't you rolling in money? ELLIE. I don't know. It seems very unfair to me. You see, my father was made bankrupt. It nearly broke his heart, because he had persuaded several of his friends to put money into the business. He was sure it would succeed; and events proved that he was quite right. But they all lost their money. It was dreadful. I don't know what we should have done but for Mr Mangan. MRS HUSHABYE. What! Did the Boss come to the rescue again, after all his money being thrown away?