MR. BOOTH. [_shouting, and his sudden courage failing as he shouts._] Prove this . . prove it to me! I'm not to be frightened so easily. One can't lose half of all one has and then be told of it in two minutes . . sitting at a table. [_his voice tails off to a piteous whimper._] EDWARD. [_quietly now and kindly._] If my father had told you this in plain words you'd have believed him. MR. BOOTH. [_bowing his head._] Yes. EDWARD _looks at the poor old thing with great pity_. EDWARD. What on earth did you want to withdraw your account for? You need never have known . . you could have died happy. Settling with all those charities in your will would certainly have smashed us up. But proving your will is many years off yet we'll hope. MR. BOOTH. [_pathetic and bewildered._] I don't understand. No, I don't understand . . because your father . . But I =must= understand, Edward. EDWARD. Don't shock yourself trying to understand my father, for you never will. Pull yourself together, Mr. Booth. After all, this isn't a vital matter to you. It's not even as if you had a family to consider . . like some of the others. MR. BOOTH. [_vaguely._] What others? EDWARD. Don't imagine your money has been specially selected for pilfering. MR. BOOTH. [_with solemn incredulity._] One has read of this sort of thing but . . I thought people always got found out. EDWARD. [_brutally humorous._] Well . . we are found out. You've found us out. MR. BOOTH. [_rising to the full appreciation of his wrongs._] Oh . . I've been foully cheated! EDWARD. [_patiently._] I've told you so. MR. BOOTH. [_his voice breaks, he appeals pitifully._] But by you, Edward . . say it's by you. EDWARD. [_unable to resist his quiet revenge._] I've not the ability or the personality for such work, Mr. Booth . . nothing but principles, which forbid me even to lie to you. _The old gentleman draws a long breath and then speaks with great awe, blending into grief._ MR. BOOTH. I think your father is in Hell . . I'd have gone there myself to save him from it. I loved him very truly. How he could have had the heart! We were friends for nearly fifty years. Am I to think now he only cared for me to cheat me? EDWARD. [_venturing the comfort of an explanation._] No . . he didn't value money as you do. MR. BOOTH. [_with sudden shrill logic._] But he took it. What d'you mean by that? EDWARD _leans back in his chair and changes the tenor of their talk_. EDWARD. Well, you're master of the situation now. What are you going to do? MR. BOOTH. To get my money back? EDWARD. No, that's gone. MR. BOOTH. Then give me what's left and-- EDWARD. Are you going to prosecute? MR. BOOTH. [_shifting uneasily in his chair._] Oh, dear . . is that necessary? Can't somebody else do that? I thought the Law-- EDWARD. You need not prosecute, you know. MR. BOOTH. What'll happen if I don't. EDWARD. What do you suppose I'm doing here now? MR. BOOTH. [_as if he were being asked a riddle._] I don't know.