Mother and son exchanged a long look.
"Unless you go—very far out of your way."
"Well, suppose I did go—very far out of my way?"
"I should have to leave it with your father to deal with that."
"Well, it wouldn't be the first time dad's been philanthropic."
Collingham looked up wearily. He was sitting with one leg thrown across the other, his left hand stroking Dauphin's silky head.
"You can be as philanthropic as you like outside business, Bob," he said, with schooled, hopeless conviction. "Inside, it's no go. Once you admit the principle of treating your employees philanthropically, business methods are at an end."
"I don't think modern economics would agree with you, daddy," Edith objected. "Aren't we beginning to realize that the well-being of employees, even when they're no longer of much use—"
Collingham looked up with a kind of longing in his eyes.
"I wish I could believe that, Edie, but an efficiency expert wouldn't bear you out."