She assures me that she’s not going home. ETCHINGHAM. [_Almost beside himself._] She’s not going to stay here? LADY FRANCIS. Those are her plans at the moment. ETCHINGHAM. And George? LADY FRANCIS. Well? ETCHINGHAM. You don’t suppose her husband’s going to put up with this nonsense? Has he made no sign? LADY FRANCIS. Ten minutes after she arrived he sent a messenger boy--with a toothbrush. ETCHINGHAM. Why a toothbrush? LADY FRANCIS. I don’t know. Presumably to brush her teeth. ETCHINGHAM. Well, that shows he doesn’t look upon the matter as serious. Of course, it was a whim on Kate’s part. Luckily he’s coming here this morning.... LADY FRANCIS. [_Interrupting._] Is he? ETCHINGHAM. Yes, he promised to fetch me in his car. We’re going to drive down to the City together. I’ll bring him in, and meanwhile you can talk to Kate. I dare say she’s thought better of it already. It only wants a little tact, and we can settle the whole thing. George is clever enough to have given some plausible explanation to the servants. LADY FRANCIS. Are you really under the impression things are going to pass off in that way? ETCHINGHAM. Why not? LADY FRANCIS. They say it’s a wise man who knows his own father, but it’s apparently a wiser man still who knows his own daughter. ETCHINGHAM. Angela, for goodness’ sake don’t try to be bright and amusing. LADY FRANCIS. Do you know so little of Kate as to imagine she would have taken a step of this kind without having quite made up her mind? ETCHINGHAM. You don’t mean to say you think Kate will refuse to go back to her husband? LADY FRANCIS. I do. ETCHINGHAM. But what reasons does she give? Why did she say she left him? LADY FRANCIS. She gave no reasons. She merely stated the fact and asked if I could put her up. ETCHINGHAM. Well, she must go back to her husband. LADY FRANCIS. [_As if it were the most innocent question._] Why? ETCHINGHAM. Because a woman’s place is by her husband’s side, Angela. You know just as well as I do that I can’t afford to quarrel with George Winter. I’m chairman of half a dozen of his companies. The position would be intolerable. I should be expected to take Kate’s side if she were right or wrong. LADY FRANCIS. I suppose you owe him money? ETCHINGHAM. No, not exactly. LADY FRANCIS. Ah! [_With a shrewd look at him and a smile._] And how much is it that you--don’t exactly owe him? ETCHINGHAM. We’re mixed up together in any number of business undertakings, and naturally we have a sort of running account. If we settled up I dare say I should have to find something like fifteen thousand pounds. LADY FRANCIS. Good heavens, I thought you’d been making money. ETCHINGHAM. Yes, I did, but the fact is, we’ve been very badly hit lately. Practically all our interests are in Central America, and we couldn’t foresee that there’d be a revolution there. LADY FRANCIS. The possibility might have crossed your mind. ETCHINGHAM.