Then she should have left the money to Hugo. Fathers are the proper people to leave money to. MRS. DE MULLIN Hugo did have the _management_ of the money--till Janet was twenty-one. MRS. CLOUSTON Why only till she was twenty-one? MRS. DE MULLIN It was so in Aunt Miriam’s will. Of course, Hugo would have gone on managing it for her. It was very little trouble as it was all in Consols. But Janet said she would rather look after it for herself. MRS. CLOUSTON Ridiculous! As if girls could possibly manage money! MRS. DE MULLIN So Hugo said. But Janet insisted. So she got her way. MRS. CLOUSTON What did she do with it? Spend it? MRS. DE MULLIN No. Put it into a Railway, she said. MRS. CLOUSTON A Railway! How dangerous! MRS. DE MULLIN She said she would prefer it. She said Railways sometimes went up. Consols never. MRS. CLOUSTON She lost it all, of course? MRS. DE MULLIN I don’t know, Harriet. MRS. CLOUSTON You don’t _know?_ MRS. DE MULLIN No. I never liked to ask. Hugo was rather hurt about the whole thing, so the subject was never referred to. MRS. CLOUSTON Let me see. The child must be eight years old by now. MRS. DE MULLIN Just eight. It will be nine years next March since Janet went away. MRS. CLOUSTON What did she call him? MRS. DE MULLIN Johnny. MRS. CLOUSTON Johnny! None of the De Mullins have ever been called _Johnny_. MRS. DE MULLIN Perhaps it was his father’s name. MRS. CLOUSTON Perhaps so _(pause)_. MRS. DE MULLIN Do you think I ought to tell Hugo about Janet’s coming? MRS. CLOUSTON Certainly. MRS. DE MULLIN I thought perhaps.... MRS. CLOUSTON Nonsense, Jane. Of course, he must be told. You ought to have told him from the very beginning? MRS. DE MULLIN Do you mean when I sent the telegram? But Hugo was unconscious. MRS. CLOUSTON As soon as he recovered consciousness then. MRS. DE MULLIN I did mean to. But he seemed so weak, and Dr. Rolt said any excitement.... MRS. CLOUSTON Dr. Rolt! MRS. DE MULLIN _(goaded)_ Well, I couldn’t tell that Dr. Rolt knew so little about Hugo’s illness, could I? And I was afraid of the shock. MRS. CLOUSTON Still, he should have been told at once. It was the only chance. MRS. DE MULLIN Yes. I see that now. But I was afraid of the shock, as I said. So I put it off. And then, when I didn’t hear from Janet, I thought I would wait. MRS. CLOUSTON Why? MRS. DE MULLIN You see I didn’t know whether she was coming. And if she didn’t come, of course there was no necessity for telling Hugo anything about it. I’m afraid he’ll be very angry. MRS. CLOUSTON At any rate, you must tell him now. The sooner the better. MRS. DE MULLIN _(meekly)_ Very well, Harriet. If you think so. MRS. CLOUSTON You had better go up to him at once. [_Mrs. De Mullin goes to the door on the left, opens it, then draws back hastily_. MRS. DE MULLIN