My father owes you a lot of money. He’s chairman of half your companies. He thinks that if I divorce you he’ll have to pay that money.... GEORGE WINTER. I’m sure his sense of delicacy would prevent him from remaining in my debt. CATHERINE. And you’ll make him resign his directorships? GEORGE WINTER. [_With his tongue in his cheek._] I know him well enough to feel certain that he would never wish to retain them. CATHERINE. Oh, it’s vile. GEORGE WINTER. Or is it common sense? [_There is a moment’s pause, and when_ GEORGE WINTER _speaks it is with great seriousness_. GEORGE WINTER. Now look here, Kate; listen to me carefully. You know that all our interests are in Central America. The Lewishams had it all their own way out there till I came along. They owned the railways and the mines and the trams--everything that was worth having. Well, I knew I couldn’t oust them, but I thought I could make them take me in. I’ve been fighting them tooth and nail for ten years. They’ve done all they could to smash me by fair means and foul, but they haven’t succeeded. And now I’m in sight of my goal. I can force them to come to terms. CATHERINE. All this is nothing to me. GEORGE WINTER. The Lewishams got on to a big thing--a mine called the Campo del Oro. But that earthquake the other day queered their pitch, and they offered bills when hard cash was the only thing to do the trick. I thought that what was good enough for the Lewishams was good enough for me. I knew that if I could get it they’d have to take me in. I had two hours to think it over. I found the cash and bought the mine last week. CATHERINE. It doesn’t interest me. GEORGE WINTER. It will. I sent Macdonald out there. ETCHINGHAM. Macdonald is George’s expert. He’s the soundest man in the profession. GEORGE WINTER. And straight, straight as a die. I’m expecting his report every day. He may cable me at any moment. Then I shall get to work. I’m going to float the mine as a company with a capital of half a million. Your father will be chairman, and he ought to make close on fifty thousand out of it. For a reason I needn’t tell you, we can’t afford to wait. We must have ready money, and that means floating the company at once. My only chance is in Middlepool, where three parts of my backing have come from before. We shall soon be in the middle of a General Election. And you know how uncertain my seat in Middlepool is. I keep it only by my personal popularity. I’m at the mercy of the Nonconformists, and if there’s talk of a divorce it’s all U.P. with me. They’ll make me retire before the election, and if that happens the new company won’t stand a dog’s chance. LADY FRANCIS. Why? GEORGE WINTER. Because with the general public nervous, I shall have to depend on Middlepool, and there I can only float it on my personal character. CATHERINE. I’m afraid you’ll think it very selfish, but I haven’t any more power of self-sacrifice in me. GEORGE WINTER.