‘I can’t help it, sir. I don’t want to help it. Of course I’ll have to go?’
‘Go where?’
‘Leave you, I mean, sir.’
‘Oh, please don’t do that, Prosser. You shall have as much as you need. Don’t have more than you really need. I’m sorry it’s you, of course, because I like you so much. But now you explain it to me, I don’t see how it could have been helped. I’m awfully sorry about it. That’s a very wonderful old man.’
‘Mr. Hartopp? Yes, sir.’
‘Do you think he’d come and live here?’
‘He wouldn’t take service, sir.’
‘No, as a friend, I mean. You see, Prosser, this house is much bigger than I really need. I have to live in it, of course, because I’m so rich; besides, there’s poor Huxtable to think of.’
‘You needn’t pity Mr. Huxtable much, sir.’
‘No, that’s true: I suppose he’s very happy. Do you know anything about Mr. Hartopp’s past life? One isn’t born a “Fence” I suppose?’