"Broken-down actor. I don't."
"Thanks, we can all see that. I wish I knew why he is so fond of you."
"I can honestly say that I have never, at any time, given him cause to be. If you hit the white fairly fine, and with plenty of running side -"
"Be quiet! Why do you dislike him so much?"
"Damned old hypocrite!" said Stephen savagely. "You haven't had to watch him oiling up to Uncle Nat for two years."
"If he'd done you out ofyour inheritance you might have grounds for your dislike," she pointed out.
"Blast him! I wish he had!"
She could not help laughing. "Yes, I can understand that, but really it's very unworthy of you, Stephen! I admit that his manner is against him, and that his habit of calling you an old bear gives you some excuse for feeling homicidal, but to give him his due he's treated you remarkably white. I imagine Nat would never have drawn up that will without his persuasion."
Stephen slammed the red ball into one of the bottom pockets, and straightened his back. "Being, as he would tell you, cross-grained, so much altruism nauseates me!"
She retrieved the red ball from the pocket, and spotted it for him. "That's unreasonable. If he were entirely hypocritical, he'd have tried to induce Nat to leave all his money to him."