TRENCHARD. Edward wishes us to completely beggar ourselves in order to pay back to every client to whom father owed a pound perhaps ten shillings instead of seven. MRS. VOYSEY. He will find that my estate has been kept quite separate. EDWARD _hides his face in his hands_. TRENCHARD. I'm very glad to hear it, Mother. MRS. VOYSEY. When Mr. Barnes died your father agreed to appointing another trustee. TREGONING. [_diffidently._] I suppose, Edward, I'm involved. EDWARD. [_lifting his head quickly._] Denis, I hope not. I didn't know that anything of yours-- TREGONING. Yes . . all that I got under my aunt's will. EDWARD. You see how things are . . I've discovered no trace of that. We'll hope for the best. TREGONING. [_setting his teeth._] It can't be helped. MAJOR BOOTH _leans over the table and speaks in the loudest of whispers_. BOOTH. Let me advise you to say nothing of this to Ethel at such a critical time. TREGONING. Thank you, Booth, naturally I shall not. HUGH, _by a series of contortions, has lately been giving evidence of a desire or intention to say something_. EDWARD. Well, what is it, Hugh? HUGH. I have been wondering . . if he can hear this conversation. _Up to now it has all been meaningless to_ HONOR, _in her nervous dilapidation, but this remark brings a fresh burst of tears_. HONOR. Oh, poor papa . . poor papa! MRS. VOYSEY. I think I'll go to my room. I can't hear what any of you are saying. Edward can tell me afterwards. EDWARD. Would you like to go too, Honor? HONOR. [_through her sobs._] Yes, please, I would. TREGONING. And I'll get out, Edward. Whatever you think fit to do . . Oh, well, I suppose there's only one thing to be done. EDWARD. Only that. TREGONING. I wish I were in a better position as to work, for Ethel's sake and--and the child's. EDWARD. Shall I speak to Trenchard? TREGONING. No . . he knows I exist in a wig and gown. If I can be useful to him, he'll be useful to me, I daresay. Good bye, Hugh. Good bye, Booth. _By this time_ MRS. VOYSEY _and_ HONOR _have been got out of the room_: TREGONING _follows them. So the four brothers are left together._ HUGH _is vacant_, EDWARD _does not speak_, BOOTH _looks at_ TRENCHARD, _who settles himself to acquire information_. TRENCHARD. How long have things been wrong? EDWARD. He told me the trouble began in his father's time and that he'd been battling with it ever since. TRENCHARD. [_smiling._] Oh, come now . . that's impossible. EDWARD. But I believed him! Now I look through his papers I can find only one irregularity that's more than ten years old, and that's only to do with old George Booth's business. BOOTH. But the Pater never touched his money . . why, he was a personal friend. EDWARD. Did you hear what Denis said? TRENCHARD. Very curious his evolving that fiction about his father . . I wonder why. I remember the old man. He was honest as the day. EDWARD. To gain sympathy, I suppose.