PEACEY _gets to the door, where he stops, looking not only surly but nervous now_. PEACEY. May I speak to you a moment, sir? EDWARD. Certainly. PEACEY, _after a moment, makes an effort, purses his mouth and begins_. PEACEY. Bills are beginning to come in upon me as is usual at this season, sir. My son's allowance at Cambridge is now rather a heavy item of my expenditure. I hope that the custom of the firm isn't to be neglected now that you are the head of it, Mr. Edward. Two hundred your father always made it at Christmas . . in notes if you please. _Towards the end of this_ EDWARD _begins to pay great attention. When he answers his voice is harsh._ EDWARD. Oh, to be sure . . your hush money. PEACEY. [_bridling._] That's not a very pleasant word. EDWARD. This is a very unpleasant subject. PEACEY. I'm sure it isn't my wish to bring out in cold conversation what I know of the firm's position. Your father always gave me the notes in an envelope when he shook hands with me at Christmas. EDWARD. [_blandly._] And I've been waiting for you to ask me. PEACEY. Well, we'll say no more about it. There's always a bit of friction in coming to an understanding about anything, isn't there, sir? _He is going when_ EDWARD'S _question stops him_. EDWARD. Why didn't you speak to me about this last Christmas? PEACEY. I knew you were upset at your father's death. EDWARD. No, no, my father died the August before that. PEACEY. Well . . truthfully, Mr. Edward? EDWARD. As truthfully as you think suitable. _The irony of this is wasted on_ PEACEY, _who becomes pleasantly candid_. PEACEY. Well, I couldn't make you out last Christmas. I'd always thought there must be a smash when your father died . . but it didn't come. But then again at Christmas you seemed all on edge and I didn't know what might happen. So I thought I'd better keep quiet and say nothing. EDWARD. I see. This little pull of yours over the firm is an inheritance from your father, isn't it? PEACEY. [_discreetly._] When he retired, sir, he said to me . . I've told the Governor you know what I know. And Mr. Voysey said to me . . I treat you as I did your father, Peacey. I never had another word on the subject with him. EDWARD. A very decent arrangement. Your son's at Cambridge you say, Peacey? PEACEY. Yes. EDWARD. I wonder you didn't bring him into the firm. PEACEY. [_taking this very kind._] Thank you, sir . . I thought of it. But then I thought that two generations going in for this sort of thing was enough. EDWARD. That's a matter of taste. PEACEY. And then, sir . . I don't want to hurt your feelings, but things simply cannot go on for ever. The marvel to me is that the game has been kept up as it has. So now, if he does well at Cambridge, I hope he'll go to the bar. He has a distinct talent for patiently applying himself to the details of a thing. EDWARD. I hope he'll do well. I'm glad to have had this talk with you, Peacey. I'm sorry you can't have the money you want.